A Dream Unlocked by sugarquills23
Summary: This adventure begins post 6th year. Harry is suddenly having nightmare's again despite his Occlumency training. He is uncertain of who is haunting his dreams, but knows he must help her. What unforeseen dangers are awaiting Harry in his nightmares and how will he unlock the mystery of the girl trapped inside his mind... A/N: The first 5 chapters have been revised with the development of a new chapter. I'm working with a beta now to improve this story. I hope you like the changes.
Rating: R
Categories: Post-OotP
Characters: None
Genres: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Published: 2005.01.29
Updated: 2005.06.21
Index
Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Frustrated and Alone
Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Another Day at Privet Drive
Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Almost Perfect
Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The Return of Riddle
Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Time for Bed
Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Unspoken Wishes
Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Ginny's Nightmare
Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Into Her Dreams
Chapter 9: Chapter 9: More Than A Dream
Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Breaching the Threshold
Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Out of Time
Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Code of Brotherhood
Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Waging War with the Weasleys
Chapter 14: Chapter 14: The Power of the Amulet
Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Out of the Darkness
Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Out of Tea
Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Mrs. Weasley's Secret
Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Bittersweet Dreams
Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Frustrated and Alone
Chapter 1: Frustrated and AloneThere was a dark and stifling silence in the small, disheveled bedroom at the top of the stairs. The room wasn’t much to look at, but it was arguably a great improvement over the cupboard under the stairs. The shadows of the room held a troubled boy with dark, unruly hair and an unmistakable lightning bolt scar. In torment, he writhed in his bed as he slept.
It was frustration and fear rolled into one. He felt as though he were being held back from something, or perhaps from someone. He awoke suddenly with a jolt and found himself hopelessly tangled in the sheets of his bed. He was soaked in a cold sweat, his heart was pounding fiercely against his chest, and he was completely breathless, again.
"Bloody dream!" he growled in aggravation as he struggled to disentangle himself from the jumble of bedding. Falling back against his pillow with a sigh, he attempted to settle into the calming silence of reality.
For the last several nights, Harry Potter had been having horrible dreams. Under normal circumstances, this would be nothing new for the Boy-Who-Lived. In fact, Harry had actually grown rather accustomed to fitful nights over the years, but this was different somehow.
His dreams were typically filled with screams of his mother begging for Harry’s life, or visions of Cedric or Sirius being snuffed out before his very eyes. These visions were much more than dreams. They were flashes of memories from events of his life, horrible and frightful, but nonetheless, memories.
In an attempt to improve his nightly lot, last year Harry had finally resolved himself to the fact that he would need to master Occlumency if he were ever to sleep properly again. During his sixth year at Hogwarts he had suffered through countless nights with Professor Snape in the dungeons, trying to block his repeated neurological invasions into his thoughts and memories.
Spending extra time with his least favorite professor was miserable, but that was not the worst of it. Actually, his time with Snape pulled a close second to the countless snide remarks from Slytherins who were told he was taking remedial potions, again. Those two factors were motivation enough to master it and be done with it, even without his best friend Hermione nagging him constantly to "concentrate and take it seriously." By the second month of the term, things had improved for him. He seemed to truly be taking control of his mind and he felt he might actually begin to rest at night.
However, that was then and this was now. Another long summer holiday at Privet Drive was staring him in the face, and Harry was already beginning to feel alone and lonely. He still had over another month before he could return to his real home at Hogwarts. He knew the Dursleys wouldn’t care that he was having nightmares. He would even be willing to wager that they might take a perverse pleasure in the fact that he was having trouble sleeping.
As he lay staring up at the ceiling, he wondered why, once again, the peace of his nights was under attack. This time it was not by mere memories though, at least not his own, but by flashes of someone else’s misery.
What truly troubled him about his dreams was that he couldn’t know for sure if it was just a nightmare or if it was really happening. Did Voldemort have another innocent victim that he was repeatedly torturing for sport simply to seep into Harry’s thoughts and make him watch?
Harry kept trying to reach out to whoever was being tormented, but could never quite reach far enough. In frustration, he tried to close himself off. Despite his attempts to block the dreams through Occlumency, they continued night after night. He did have suspicions about why it wasn’t working. Harry suspected that the part of him that wanted to prevent the dreams was continually being beat out by the larger part of him that needed so badly to find her and help her. He had realized that deep down he was almost willing the dreams to continue.
Although there were many things he didn’t know, there were a few things he had determined. He knew that this felt different from when he had dreamed about Sirius or the attack on Mr. Weasley. Instead of a clear and vivid image, it was more like sounds, a fragrance, flashes of images, and a ‘sense’ of a person that he experienced.
Each night it was the same. He felt he was trying to get to a person who needed him, but somehow could never find them. His dreams had become filled with the screams of a faceless, nameless person. The only thing he could discern was that the person was a young woman. Night after night, the helpless woman’s tormented screams seemed to tear through Harry’s chest like the steely blade of a dagger.
The other troubling thing was that he felt he knew her and wanted desperately to help, if only he could find her. Tonight he had come closer than ever before to reaching her, so close it was maddening. He’d reached the chamber where she was held, opened the door, and felt a surge of excitement mixed with dread wash over him. His heart pounded with anticipation to finally see her, help her, but even as he moved forward, the sharp edge of fear crept in on him while he imagined what he might actually see when he did. As the door swung back to reveal the mysterious young woman at last, he awoke just before he could look into her face.
Frustration plagued him as Harry mulled over his options. Should he actually do anything at all or should he continue keep this new nightmare private? Following his dreams as fact had not always proved prudent. That was a lesson Harry had learned all too painfully at the loss of his godfather’s life.
Several times he considered sending an owl to his best friends for advice. Upon weighing the good with the bad, he had decided against it. Ron would definitely go into panic mode wondering if in fact someone was actually being tortured. He didn’t anticipate that Hermione would be much more helpful than Ron. Harry was certain that she would tell him to contact the Order straight away. Neither option seemed favorable to him at the moment. Why should Ron and Hermione worry too? He had no firm information to pass along to the Order, so it seemed useless to tell them now.
The only outcome he could envision was another barrage of stares and lectures. Snape’s reaction in particular played out in his mind. He could just picture the potion master’s sneer as he told them of his nightly quest.
"Well, I’m having dreams again," he said aloud, voicing his thoughts. "Someone is in trouble, but I don’t know who… or where…or if it’s real…What do you think?"
How lame does that sound? Harry wondered to himself. Snape would surely insist Harry wasn’t using his Occlumency properly.
Dumbledore would probably gaze at him over those half moon spectacles contemplatively and respond evenly "Really? Indeed. Tell us if you learn more, but for now don’t leave your aunt’s home."
That was not a speech he wanted to hear again. No, he definitely needed to know more before he told anyone. It was his private fight, his secret, at least for now.
Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Another Day at Privet Drive
Chapter 2 Another Day at Privet DriveAs the morning light crept through his window, Harry lay feeling somewhat groggy and tired. Groaning, he pulled his pillow over his head to block out the arrival of the new day. He hadn't slept much after waking in the wee hours of the morning from yet another episode with her.
The house had been still, the neighborhood quiet. It was unclear to him why he had awoke when he did. The many questions that plagued him about the chamber and its prisoner was clear and still burned in his mind. In the hopes of finding some answers, Harry had tried to go right back to sleep. His frustration from being yanked unceremoniously from his dream and the identity of the girl in his mind, however, seemed to be preventing sleep from taking him. Instead, he lay there as the few remaining hours of darkness ticked by, mentally wandering through a plan of attack for the next night.
There's got to be a way to get to her before I wake up, he thought. At this point he wasn't sure what bothered him more, the fact that he wanted to help her and hadn't been able to, or the fact that he still didn't know who she was.
He had memorized the pathway to her chamber as he retraced it in his nightly missions. He could visualize it very clearly in his waking hours. Strangely enough, it was clearer then, as opposed to when he slept. Somehow his mind filled in the details, although in his dreams he couldn't actually see them. The space felt somehow familiar to him. It was like he had been there before, but the key ingredients to solving the mystery were frustratingly out of reach.
He was quickly drawn out of his thoughts as he heard footsteps moving down the hall and towards the stairs. He knew that in no time he would be 'summoned' to breakfast. He momentarily considered telling Uncle Vernon to 'sod off' when he bellowed for Harry to come down.
After a moment of happy consideration, he decided against it. After all, he could finally do a few things he wanted: owl his friends, look at his spell books, allow Hedwig out, and eat somewhat properly. He didn't want to risk losing the few privileges he had managed to earn with the Order's help. Telling Uncle Vernon he hadn't slept well and he was too tired today simply wouldn't do.
Things were not as bad as they had been in the past. Since his fifth year, the Dursleys had been forced by Dumbledore, Lupin, and mostly Moody to take care of Harry's basic needs a little better. Starving him was definitely out of the question with Mad-Eye only an owl away. That didn't quell their zest for enslaving him to the best of their ability before feeding him, however. If Harry wanted any time of his own, he had to play their game. Yes, he would have to do his daily chores before he could escape to the seclusion of his room and resume planning his nightly excursions into the dream world.
As if on cue, it came. "BOY! Get down here! You'll not laze about all day when there is work to be done! Get your sorry arse down here and earn your bloody keep!"
Harry thought Uncle Vernon seemed to be in a particularly nasty state for so early in the morning, but no matter. He didn't exactly exchange pleasantries with any of them. They went about their business and he went about his, (after receiving the list for the day, of course).
Harry rose from his bed, crossed his small room and looked into the mirror as he ran his fingers through his hopelessly unkempt hair. He grinned as he thought of how his unruly hair irritated his aunt and uncle to no end. At least it has some perks. he thought as he roughed it up even more if that was possible. He threw on some clothes and made his way to the stairway, as another 'wake up call' erupted from the kitchen.
"POTTER! I said get down here! NOW!"
He couldn't help himself as he hollered back, "I'M COMING! Get a grip!"
He knew he could push things a bit more now than when he was younger. The fact that he was a wizard, guarded by more powerful wizards, was enough to keep his relatives somewhat in check. He really owed his delicious hold on them to the Order's decree of 'be kinder to Harry, or we'll be back!'
The last time they 'stopped by' Harry thought Aunt Petunia would faint as she watched Moody's magical eye bore through her to her piggy son hiding behind her skirt. It did his heart good really, their unannounced visits. It gave him the strength to continue and something to look forward to as well. It was always a surprise and very enjoyable to watch. Their 'inspections' always bought Harry at least a day or two of total freedom.
It had been awhile since their last visit. He knew another one would be coming any day, which gave him a little more cheek than usual. As he descended the stairs, he thought mischievously about their next 'reminder' to treat him properly. Until then just go along with it, he told himself.
Entering the kitchen, he looked from his uncle's puffy face to the dining table and discovered the source of Uncle Vernon's irritation. For once, it had nothing to do with Harry. The post had arrived and apparently, sweet "Diddydum's" exam scores from Smeltings had been amongst the pile of letters along with an additional notice from the school Head.
It must have been really bad. Aunt Petunia was extremely pale and looked on the verge of tears. Uncle Vernon was storming back and forth across the room blustering and grumbling to himself about the unwelcome, and in Vernon's opinion, completely unwarranted news from the school.
As Harry prepared breakfast, his ears perked in the hopes of hearing more. Perhaps today won't be so horrible after all he thought. Dudley's academic shortcomings were certainly amusing enough. They were sure to serve as a pleasant distraction from the daily din of life with the Dursleys.
From the bits and pieces that he could ascertain, Harry surmised that Dudley had been caught attempting to toss his report and the letter into the bin. It was obvious that 'Dudders' had been well aware that he had not achieved what they had hoped. Not only were his scores bordering on atrocious, but the letter from Headmaster Morley stated that if he didn't show marked improvement in the fall term, he would be dismissed from the school boxing team "until such time that his grades reflected the level of excellence befitting a quality school such as Smeltings."
The more his uncle paced, the angrier he became until he was in a veritable rampage. Uncle Vernon of course, blamed the school. Headmaster Morley had made several changes in the short time that he had been running the school that Uncle Vernon found nothing short of criminal. From what Harry could tell, those policy adjustments were obviously designed to raise the academic standards of the school while down playing the importance of sport. Such a theory seemed utterly preposterous to Vernon.
"It all comes down to bringing in that new headmaster!" Veron raved. "That was the worst mistake that school's ever made in its 80 year history! It's a crime to watch a proper school like Smeltings spiral down into the gutter with that riff raff at the helm."
Harry turned away and rolled his eyes. Harry could remember Uncle Vernon quite clearly stating just a year ago that a solid, no nonsense leader like Headmaster Morley was "exactly what that school needed to keep those lazy Red teachers in line." Now that that same no nonsense style of leadership had come back to bite Dudley, Vernon was taking quite a different tack.
"What's Morley playing at anyway? When I was at Smeltings, we had proper professors, who could actually spot talent and develop it when it was thrust upon them! We certainly didn't entertain ruddy Headmasters who couldn't see the value of a well-rounded student!" Vernon grumbled in disgust.
Dudley's well-rounded alright, I'll give you that. Harry thought as he fought off his smirk. For some reason, watching his beastly cousin eat his way into oblivion at the moment was almost amusing. Harry finished serving the breakfast as Vernon went on with his rant.
"I'll tell you what this is, Morley's got a son of his own on the boxing team. I'd wager he wants Dud out of the way so there's a clear path for his boy to be champion. The boy probably can't handle a little healthy competition more like he knows the whelp doesn't stand a chance of being top man with Dudley around, so he wants him off the team." Vernon said with a nod to Dudley and a slap on his rather beefy arm. "That has to be it!"
Or...Dudley's really just that daft and an absolutely brainless git. Harry mused to himself before tuning back in to Vernon. "It's an outrage!" his uncle continued. "Well, I have news for Headmaster Morley, I'll simply not have it! Don't give it another thought Dud, Coach Ellington will have something to say about this supposed dismissal from the team. Empty threats I tell you. Morley wouldn't dare. With your boxing record, Ellington's sure to fight to keep you."
How dare they, Harry thought sarcastically as he returned to the kitchen for the orange juice. Smeltings actually views academic standards as a priority. Bet it really cranks Uncle Vernon that boxing isn't enough, Harry mused.
Still, Harry couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. This was a lot of denial, even for his relatives. Were they really that thick? Did they really think that being the best bully in the school would qualify Big D for scholar of the year? He doubted very much if Dudley even cared about his grades, but Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were mortified.
What would they tell the neighbors who proudly shared their child's achievements? Harry listened from the kitchen as talk of pulling Dudley out of that school altogether began to circulate about the room.
Harry was beginning to suspect that sending Dudley abroad to spend a year 'finding himself' rather than returning to Smeltings for his second year of A levels was sounding better and better. Unless Dudley's coach really did have that much pull, Harry could see that his relatives were beginning to run out of alternatives. Having his one and only son chucked off the boxing team certainly wasn't going to be acceptable to Uncle Vernon. That's not the sort of thing that you could brag about in social circles. If Dudley left now, that could never happen and he'd end his illustrious boxing career as school champion instead of school pinhead who had been dismissed from the team based purely on his stupidity. Harry suspected that the school would be relieved as well. Dudley was mucking up the school's academic record anyway.
As Harry poured the juice, he deemed the whole scene truly entertaining. The part that Harry found to be most humorous was Dudley. He sat with a look of complete indifference at the table as he devoured yet another portion of bacon and eggs. Dudley's only contributions to the conversation had been a periodic nod or snort in response to his father's ranting. He didn't confirm or deny anything that Vernon said and allowed his father to spout off until he burned himself out and tucked into his meal.
It had been extremely difficult, but Harry had remained silent. The temptation to make some sort of comment had been gripping him since he had walked into the room, but somehow Harry had held fast until he returned to the kitchen. With the door safely closed behind him, Harry found himself fighting the urge to burst into a fit of laughter.
Harry struggled to get a hold of himself as his uncle stormed into the kitchen. "What on earth are you grinning at boy?" he yelled.
"Er...nothing Uncle Vernon." He responded as he tried to wipe the smile, quite unsuccessfully, from his face.
Vernon stared daggers through Harry, turning one of his famous shades of purple, as if it were his fault Dudley was an academic failure. Harry knew he'd be busy today. His 'list' grew in direct correlation with the foulness of Uncle Vernon's mood. The grumpier he was, the more Harry usually had to do that day. Today was no different. He had actually written a list instead of firing off the verbal one he usually delivered.
With a satisfied smirk of his own, Vernon shoved it into Harry's hand and yelled "Grin at that boy!" and stomped off.
A bit stunned by a list on paper, Harry looked down at it in shock. It was filled and there was more on the back. Items such as clean the attic, paint the trim of the house and clip the hedges topped the list. It would be three days' hard slog before he finished everything on there. The chores were so excessive that Harry could feel his blood begin to boil with rage. As he turned the paper over he stopped dead in his tracks. There at the bottom of the list in capital letters was the one thing worse than anything else they could possibly throw at him. "YOU WILL WELCOME YOUR AUNT MARGE GRACIOUSLY INTO OUR HOME!"
"THE HELL I WILL!" he shouted to the empty kitchen.
She was to arrive at 5:00 o'clock today! Harry's rage intensified as he remembered his last encounter with Marge. He actually blew her up. He couldn't believe at first that she even had the nerve to put in another appearance while he was there -- but then he remembered. Her memory had been modified.
It was the last straw. He crumpled the list in his fist and turned to march into the lounge. He was about to the play the "Moody" card when a loud blast followed by Aunt Petunia's terrified shriek saved him the trouble. Harry stopped dead in his tracks again, this time to savor the moment, as a mischievous smirk spread across his face. He took a deep breath then walked brightly into the lounge to greet his visitors.
The scene was comical, at least to Harry. The fireplace had been blown to bits, again. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia stood huddled together across the room picking plaster out of their hair while Dudley's massive bulk tried to disappear behind them. Due to his size, he was failing miserably in his attempt which amused Harry even further. He scanned the room for his guests and beamed happily.
"Fred! George! It's great to see you!" he exclaimed.
"Hi ya Harry!" They said together waggling their eyebrows and matching his smirk. "Thought we'd pop by and...er...see how you've been getting on lately."
"Interesting path of entry you two blokes chose. Didn't feel much like apparating today I suspect?" Harry added with a raised eyebrow and a grin. "Perhaps it would be better if they just left the fireplace open then. What do you think?"
George and Fred smirked back, "Perhaps it would. Causes quite an unavoidable mess this way, we're afraid. Quite unfortunate indeed, but traveling by floo well, requires a floo doesn't it?" Harry knew just as well as they did that it was in fact, easily avoidable if they had chosen to apparate instead.
"So...why didn't Ron come?" Harry asked, still enjoying their banter as the Dursleys cringed.
They grinned at Harry then allowed their eyes to wander over to Dudley's huge arse as it stuck out from behind his mother's bony body before they continued.
"Ron sends his regards Harry, but mum needed him to stay and help with some things back at headquarters."
"The Order is a bit busy today, but we're full-fledged members now, ya know. When they discussed needing someone to come by today at last night's meeting...we were only too happy to oblige."
Noting that they had both a captive and delighted audience the twins decided to beef it up a bit. "Course, Moody'll be along any minute." George paused allowing his words to sink in properly. Relishing the expressions on the Dursley's faces, he continued. "He so loves these 'social calls.' Isn't that right Fred?" George smirked.
"Oh, too right you are George." Fred answered. "I believe he said he simply wouldn't miss it."
Harry watched, almost giddy, as the Weasley twins hawked Dudley from across the room. The twins were a force to be reckoned with, perhaps on a different plane than Moody, but still a veritable lightning-bolt waiting to strike. He was glad that he had always managed to remain on good terms with them.
No doubt his cousin remembered the twins from their last visit when they had accidentally dropped a Ton-Tongue Toffee which Dudley had eaten. Dudley's tongue wagged somewhere about his navel by the time his parents let Mr. Weasley sort him out.
As those wonderful images floated about in Harry's mind, he heard a loud crack reverberate through the room. Mad-Eye Moody apparated only inches in front of Vernon and Petunia making them fall back over Dudley who squealed like a little girl.
"Hello professor! I wondered when you'd be making another social call. It's good of you to come. If you stay long enough you may even get to meet my Aunt Marge." Harry added gleefully, picturing what would happen if they were still there when she arrived. I've got her gracious welcome right here, Harry thought.
It felt even sweeter when he heard a sharp gasp and a shudder come from the pile of Dursleys heaped on the lounge floor. He knew what they were thinking. How on earth they would explain their scarred, claw-footed, mad-eyed visitor to a very judgmental Marge? He also knew Moody would never abide her rudeness. Harry found himself wishing and hoping they could stay. He pictured Moody transfiguring her to look like one of her bulldogs and bouncing her off the ceiling. A smile leapt to Harry's face at the mental images. As Harry fast forwarded through the evening in his mind, he found the best part was that once Moody had finished with her, she would have the Weasley twins to contend with. Harry just had to know what kind of creative, but evil mischief Fred and George would have in store for her and her dog.
It appeared Fred and George had been thinking the very same thing as Harry glanced at them happily with a grin of invitation to do their worst. The twins looked as though Christmas had come early. But it was too good to be true. Unfortunately, play day was to be cut short.
"Haven't they told you Potter?" Moody asked halting the wheels as they turned in the boys' heads.
Looking a bit confused Harry asked, "Sorry? Told me what, sir?"
"Sorry Harry, just having a bit of fun first." Fred interjected.
Moody looked at the twins with a bit of a grumble, and then considered their ability to toy with the Dursleys. He had to give credit where credit was due. They had a knack for their own brand of intimidation.
He looked back at Harry and said. "Its jail-break day for you Potter! Get your trunk!"
Harry couldn't believe it! His heart soared as he absorbed the news.
"What? Are you serious?" he cried. "I didn't expect to get to leave for at least another week, around my birthday." Harry paused. "This is absolutely, bloody excellent!"
Harry then walked directly to the trembling heap that was his uncle and tossed the crumpled list at him. "Here, doesn't look like I'll have time for any of this today," he said cheerfully. "I guess you'll have to do your own maintenance for a change. See you next year!" With that, Harry turned on his heel and headed up to his room to pack, accompanied by the twins. They left Moody in the lounge with the Dursleys to have a little fun.
This was going to be a much better day than Harry had ever felt possible! His summer at the Dursleys was cut short. No more lists, no more Dursleys, and most importantly, no Marge! Harry was terribly curious about why he was getting an early out this year, but was too happy to ask. No doubt it wasn't anything good, but that didn't matter right now. There'd be plenty of time for worry later. Right now he wanted to enjoy every moment of his farewell party.
Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Almost Perfect
Chapter 3 Almost PerfectWhen they arrived at Order headquarters, much to Harry's surprise the place was deserted. It seemed rather strange to him being that they had talked about how "busy" the Order was and that Ron couldn't come to get him because he was helping his mum with "things" at headquarters.
Harry turned to Moody and asked, "What's going on? I guess I expected a bit more activity around here. Why did you come for me now anyway?"
Moody looked at the twins and then back at Harry. "Dumbledore got word from an informant that that "blimp" of a woman was coming today. He felt it better to take you away rather than let you get into trouble again by hexing her and her slobbering mutt to smithereens. We were coming for you next week anyway, it just seemed prudent."
Harry looked at them a little irritated at the implication that he couldn't control his temper, but he knew deep down they were probably right on this occasion. Besides, anything that got him away from Privet Drive was okay with him.
"So where is everyone? Where's Ron? I thought he would be here." Harry asked as he began to calm his temper.
It was the twins' turn to respond now. "Well, he and Mum were here. They were getting things ready for you. You know…cleaning, preparing food, so you'd have what you need. When Dumbledore moved your 'extraction from Dursley Doom' up a week unexpectedly, it put Mum into a bit of a tizzy. She was worried she wouldn't have enough time to prepare things properly for you, so she put Ron and us to work straight away. She was in a right state wasn't she?" George said turning to Fred.
"Yeah, she kept asking if headquarters felt 'homey' enough and bustling around like the Queen was coming or something." Fred responded shrugging his shoulders. "She finally calmed down in the end though after we slipped her some special tea, our own unique blend." Fred said with a wink. "She was more than alright after that."
"Down right blissful, I'd say." George added with a nod and a proud grin. "She just wanted you to feel at home here, Harry."
Harry looked curiously at the three of them. "So, they're all gone? You mean, I'll be staying… alone?"
He did not like the idea of being left alone in the home of his dead godfather. On the surface, it was evident that Mrs. Weasley and the others had worked hard at eliminating the remaining 'darkness' from the house. Many of the Black family heirlooms had finally been removed, including the wailing portrait of Mrs. Black. The menacing objects had been replaced with brighter, cheerier ones and it had taken on the overall feel of a normal muggle home rather than a den of dark wizards. Regardless of the physical changes in the room, as Harry looked around the empty lounge, he could almost feel an echo of Sirius in the space. It wasn't that he was frightened; it just made him feel rather depressed.
Fred and George seemed to know what he was thinking and jumped to answer. "No of course not, we'll be taking it in turns to…"
"To what, mind me?" Harry finished indignantly. "Why can't I just come to the Burrow?"
Moody practically growled, "Its not safe boy! You know that!"
"Then why can't Ron come to stay here with me?" Harry shot back as his voice rose to where he was practically yelling.
The twins looked quickly at each other and then began trying to calm him down again, "Take it easy Harry. He will, but not until tomorrow. He was going to pick up Hermione tonight and then they are both going to be joining you tomorrow. Ginny will be along any minute now. We're going to keep you company tonight."
Suddenly Harry felt like a prat as he paused and then answered, "Oh." somewhat lamely.
A rather uncomfortable silence filled the room. Moody disappeared into the kitchen and the twins kept stealing glances at each other and then at Harry with uncertainty. They seemed to be unsure of how to proceed from there. To escape the awkwardness, Harry decided to excuse himself from the group and go upstairs to unpack.
When he entered his room it certainly looked like it had been given what Harry could only describe as a mother's touch. It was spotless and everything looked fresh and bright. The curtains were drawn back and sunshine gleamed through the window. His spirits began to rise as he opened the wardrobe and began to unpack.
He was done with his Dursley 'sentence' for another year and spending the last five weeks of the summer holiday with his best friends. If he could just figure out his dreams, he thought his life would be just about perfect. Well, maybe not perfect, there was still the matter of Voldemort, but he felt that it would be pretty good, all things considered.
Harry decided to let Hedwig share in his freedom. He walked to her cage and released the clasp. Normally she'd be asleep at this time of day if she wasn't off delivering a letter, but apparently the commotion of the day had her a bit off her routine.
"Go on girl. Have a bit of a stretch." Harry said as he stroked her snow white feathers with a smile. She didn't seem too keen on moving at first, but when Harry crossed the room and opened the window in encouragement, Hedwig hopped out of her cage and lighted on his arm momentarily. In appreciation, she affectionately nipped his ear before gliding out into the open air. He watched as she took flight into the late morning sky, hooting happily. Harry followed her with his eyes as she soared off over the rooftops and out of sight.
Wistfully, he imagined how it would feel to grab his Firebolt and join her. It had been weeks since he'd flown. No matter how many times he'd done it, it always felt exhilarating when he first pushed off from the ground. He reluctantly tabled the thought after a few minutes. He seriously doubted that Moody or anyone else would appreciate him taking an excursion into Muggle air space. No, definitely not. Flying would have to wait.
With a sigh he turned from the window and finished unpacking. After placing Hedwig's empty cage on the wardrobe, he stretched out on the bed to relax. In the silence of the room, his mind drifted once again to the unmistakable presence of his godfather that could be felt all around him. Harry swallowed hard and wondered if he was really ready to spend the summer closed off at Grimmauld Place.
Part of the reason Sirius was gone was because he had been going stir crazy cooped up at headquarters. Harry tried to push the thoughts from his mind and concentrate on the fact that Fred and George were staying the night, Ginny was on her way, and Ron and Hermione would be arriving to tomorrow. He'd soon be surrounded by the people he loved most. Sirius wouldn't want him to dwell on the tragedies of the past. He'd want him to live for the future and find peace and solace in his memory, not sadness.
Slowly Harry's mind cleared and his eyes began to slide out of focus. He was feeling more tired than he realized. Obviously the lack of sleep and the excitement of the morning had taken its toll. Before Harry knew it, he had drifted off to sleep.
Suddenly he was walking down a torch lit, stone corridor. The flames dancing off the walls were little comfort along the dark and dank pathway of his dreams, but Harry didn't care. He moved deliberately through the catacombs turning several times without even thinking. The route was so engrained in his mind at that point; he didn't need to think about it. As the doorway to the chamber came into view, he felt a familiar jolt of excitement and nerves sweep over him. He moved forward to open the door, hoping that this time the elusive figure from his dreams would somehow reveal themselves to him. When the heavy wooden barrier swung open on its large metal hinges, initially things looked the same as they had every other night, but they weren't. It took only seconds for Harry to sense that something was different. It was quiet, too quiet. A surge of panic washed over him.
"I'm too late!" he thought.
He hoped that he was wrong and that the person he had heard night after night hadn't lost their fight. Proceeding cautiously into the room he saw a glow coming from the far corner. As he approached it, he began to realize it was the form of a girl. She was lying silently on what looked like a giant stone slab covered in carved serpents. The light he had seen was radiating from the fire crackling behind her giving the figure a rather eerie, ethereal glow.
Slowly, he approached her, watchful of his surroundings. When he was sure they were alone, he began to close the distance between him and her alarmingly still body. The room seemed to grow and elongate as he walked. He kept moving forward but he didn't feel like he was gaining much ground. When he finally reached her side, he looked down and gasped.
"No! It can't be! …Ginny! What happened to you? Wake up Ginny!" Harry's throat constricted as his mind shot back years to the image of her on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets. He reached out to touch her cheek and found it icy cold. She looked dead, but after noticing the rise and fall of her slow breathing he knew she was alive. She was bound and in some sort of deep sleep. She was bruised and scratched and her eyes were puffy and dark underneath, like she had been crying. Harry had to remind himself this was only a dream. This can't really be happening. She's coming to see me. Fred and George said so themselves. Ginny is fine. Ginny is fine! He could almost hear her calling to him even as he repeated the words in his mind.
The voice was off in the distance "Harry! Harry, wake up!" The words finally sunk in as Harry sat bolt upright in the bed and came face to face with the real live version of the girl in his dreams. Ginny was sitting next to him on the bed. She had been trying to wake him. She looked frightened and exhausted, very much like her counterpart in his dream, except the scratches and bruises were absent. "Harry, are you alright?"
Harry froze in silence. He was stunned at what he had just seen in his dream. It was even more of a shock to wake up and find Ginny sitting right before him. He wanted to grab her and hug her in relief that she was safe, but she'd surely think he'd lost his mind. He didn't want to scare her with the truth. Not knowing quite what he should say he lied and said, "Er…Yeah…I'm fine." Then trying to sound casual he added, "How long have I been asleep?"
Ginny looked at him questioningly as if searching his eyes for answers. After a small pause she quietly asked, "You found me…didn't you?"
Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The Return of Riddle
Chapter 4 The Return of RiddleHarry sat up in bed completely speechless as he stared at the ginger haired girl perched trembling at his side. He was utterly stunned at Ginny’s question as he played it over in his mind. 'You found me… didn’t you?'
Harry had yet to respond. It was clear she wanted him to say something, anything, but the words simply wouldn’t come.
She bit her lip nervously as the moments ticked by in a vacuum of silence. Finally, his failure to acknowledge her question forced her to speak. “Please Harry. Please talk to me. I don’t want to be alone anymore. Tell me you’ve found the chamber.” Ginny begged with her apprehension building. “You’ve found me.” she added in a small, unsteady voice.
Her desperation was breaking him as he nodded in response. Harry’s mind was reeling as the cold reality of her words began to flood in upon him. She knew. She knew of his haunting dreams because she lived them. It was her screams in agony, her cries for mercy that he’d been hearing. It was Ginny all along.
He raced through the details of the visions, trying to piece together clues that made sense. Nothing fit. Why would he being having nightmares about Ginny? More importantly, why would he be sharing those nightmares with her? Surely he wasn’t flashing back to the episode in the Chamber of Secrets. Although there were some similarities to the experiences, they were really quite different. This wasn’t a memory. He was sure of that, but then what was it?
When finally he found his voice he said. “This can’t be Ginny. It just can’t.” But even as the words left his mouth, he knew that Ginny would never lie to him.
Ginny exhaled slowly and dropped her eyes from his gaze. “I’m sorry Harry. It is real, at least in a sense.”
He studied her features and saw them masked with the fear of rejection. He had to say something to reassure her. “I believe you Ginny. If you say it’s real, then it is. I just don’t understand. How did you know? I haven’t told anyone about my dreams. They aren’t real. They can’t be. You’re sitting right here.” He said in disbelief as if saying it out loud would make it so.
“It was me in your dreams, or rather, you in mine Harry. I’ve been calling to you every night, hoping that you’d find your way.” Ginny rushed on. “I just thought that if anyone could do it, you could. After all, you’ve done it before. I’m so sorry.”
Harry just stared at her. “Wha…What do you mean you’ve been calling to me? What did you think I could do? Ginny, what is going on?”
Ginny looked bone-weary. She focused on the floor as her eyes filled with tears. Harry studied her not knowing what to do. This was not like Ginny at all. She was always so strong, independent, unfaltering. The Ginny that he had grown to admire as a friend was not prone to break down. He wasn’t sure what to do. He reached out and placed his hand on her cheek. Gently he raised her gaze to his. “Ginny? Please, just tell me what’s going on.”
A single tear broke loose and slid down her cheek, running over his warm hand and sending an odd tingling up his arm. She shuddered as she held his gaze for a moment before speaking. “It’s…it’s Tom… Tom Riddle.”
Harry just gaped at her. “Sorry? I thought you said that Riddle was doing this, but… that can’t be. I…” He suddenly realized he was still cupping her face in his hand when she reached up to cover it lightly with her own and lowered his hand into her lap where she held it.
“I know it seems impossible, but somehow he has figured out how to enter my dreams. Maybe it’s because he possessed me before through the diary. Maybe he left a thread of his presence in me and made it easier for him to reenter my mind. I don’t know how, but I do know that it’s happening. He’s…” She paused, unsure of how much to tell Harry about what had been happening.
“He’s what Ginny?” Harry asked becoming alarmed as she seemed to turn pale before his eyes.
“I’m…I’m more than his prisoner. It’s not enough for him to just contain me; he wants to control me. He’s been… torturing me, and apparently… enjoying it immensely.” She finished in a whisper.
“For how long?” Harry asked fearing he already knew the answer. If he was correct, it had been weeks. He could feel his anger mounting. He was angry at Riddle for what he was doing to her again, but he was also angry with himself for not finding her sooner. He could have stopped this if only he’d have gotten to her.
“Right after school ended the dreams began. At first, it wasn’t so bad really. He didn’t even speak. He would just watch me over me menacingly and then leave me alone to wonder what he’d do next. As time went on though, he grew bored of simple intimidation. He began to take on a more active role in my dreams.”
“But why Ginny? Why didn’t you tell someone? Your mum, Ron, anyone…they may have been able to help.” He held her hand more tightly in an attempt to soothe her.
She was quiet for several seconds before meeting his gaze directly. The look in her eyes made Harry ache with sympathy for her. A renewed loathing filled him for Riddle and the grief he had caused. Whatever Riddle had done, it was searing a scar into her heart and she was breaking from it.
“Please, try to understand,” she pleaded, her lips trembling and fresh tears forming. “I know telling someone, reaching out for help, seems like a simple thing to do, but I couldn’t. I was embarrassed, scared, confused. I just wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it. How do you tell someone you love that the most evil wizard in existence is invading your dreams? How do you share that with someone who loves you so deeply that your pain becomes their pain? I think the reason I finally came to you was because I knew you could understand what he does to a person. Haven’t you ever dreamed something that you didn’t think you could bear to tell anyone else?”
Her eyes begged him for understanding.
Harry nodded silently and sighed in resignation, opening up in way to her that he rarely did with anyone. “I’m afraid I have… more than once. Sometimes there are things that our minds show us while we sleep that we either don’t want to believe or simply cannot face. When you have things in your past that are painful; it can open the door to emotions that are already raw.”
Her eyes drifted closed at his words and she exhaled in relief. “Harry, that’s just how I feel. At first I really thought they were just nightmares, you know, of my time in the chamber, but as it went on, he talked to me. He told me it was revenge for what I had done to him.”
“But, you didn’t do anything," Harry protested. "It was me. I drove the basilisk tooth through the diary. I killed the image from his memory. You were innocent in it all. He was controlling you. You were powerless to hurt him, it was me.” He looked down at the hand she held then allowed his eyes to slowly travel up to meet her gaze. “Ginny … I’m so sorry that he’s punishing you for the things that I did.”
“How can you apologize for saving my life?" she said. "If it weren’t for you, I’d have died in that chamber. Don’t you know by now, I owe you my life! Please Harry, don’t be sorry. I couldn’t bare it. You’ve helped me more than you know.”
Harry fell silent again. They’d never really talked about what had happened in the Chamber of Secrets. He never thought of it as saving her life, but as helping a friend. Years had passed since that night, but it was now obvious that they had forged a connection that Harry had never considered until now.
As if for the first time, he really looked at her. She had changed so much since the first day he met her on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. He felt so close to her at that moment. His breathing became somewhat erratic as he searched her eyes and tried to stop thinking of how her hand in his caused his heart to pound. It was wrong. He just felt drawn to her because she was his friend and she was coming to him when she didn’t feel capable of confiding in anyone else. That had to be it. His body was just responding to her need for him, wasn’t it?
Ginny closed her eyes momentarily, searching for the words that would explain how she felt. When she opened them with a sigh she began.
“I’m so sorry I pulled you into this Harry. I know it was wrong of me, but I felt so desperate and alone. I tried to handle it on my own, really I did. I thought I could do it, too. I can be a bit stubborn I suppose.” She paused, trying to lift some of the tension. “I told myself that it was only a dream and that I was being weak, but as the nights wore on, I couldn’t take it anymore. I knew I needed help. Thinking of you, somehow gave me hope. I guess I thought that since you came and found me in the Chamber in real life, that you could do it in our dreams too.”
“But… how? How did you ‘pull me in?' I don’t understand how I am entering your dreams. That is what I'm doing isn’t it? It’s real…those are your screams I’ve been hearing.”
Ginny couldn’t hold her emotions in check any longer and she turned away from him. He watched as she began to shake and knew she was crying. He moved next to her and put an arm around her.
“Ginny, I’m so sorry…it’s going to be okay," he soothed. "I’ll help you. You know I will.” Without hesitation she buried her face in his chest, threw her arms around his neck, and sobbed against him. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He gently rubbed her back and shoulders as he tried to comfort her. He stroked her hair, suddenly aware of how soft it felt sliding through his fingers. His mind wandered to how good it felt to hold her and his heartbeat quickened. After a few minutes of indulgence he stopped himself. What am I thinking? This is Ginny…she’s come to me as a friend…and I go all ‘male’ on her.
He drew back slightly and smiled encouragingly at her. “Let’s start over. Can you tell me anything else? How this happened, exactly?”
She looked up at him and he thought he would melt. She had incredible eyes, shimmering with tears. He tried to focus as she began. “When it started, I didn’t know what to do," she said. "At first it seemed like just a nightmare, but it was much more. I hated myself for allowing him back into my mind. I was scared and I felt so isolated.”
He reached up absentmindedly with his free hand to wipe a renegade tear as it slid down her cheek.
With a small shudder she continued. “Riddle tried to tell me that no one would believe me. He said that they’d think I was mad if I told anyone. Part of me believed him at first. Even I thought I was going mad, so how could I expect anything more from anyone else?” She paused as she worked to shake the images from her mind. “I almost told my mum once, but how could I? I’ve put her and my family through so much already. I love them. I didn’t want to worry and hurt even more than I already have.”
“Ginny, they love you. They’d want to help you.” Harry offered.
“I know they love me, but I’d decided that it was my problem. I thought I could find a way out on my own,” she said regretfully. “I bolstered myself each night and was determined to do it alone until I began to sense the presence of someone nearby. At first I didn’t know if it was real or just part of my dream. The longer I thought about it though, the surer I became that someone strong and determined was searching for me. In my waking hours, I could think of no one, but you.” She stopped talking with a slight blush to her damp cheeks.
“Me? Why did you think of me?” Harry asked.
“It made sense. You and he are linked Harry. I guess I was able to call to you in my dreams through your connection with Voldemort.” Harry was slightly taken aback that she used the evil wizard’s name. Other than Dumbledore and himself, he’d heard very few wizards say it out loud.
She looked away again before continuing. “I…I could feel you Harry. I could feel your presence surrounding me. The closer you felt…the more I cried out to lead you to me in my dreams. You gave me courage and hope that you’d come for me. It was only a matter of time.”
“You knew I’d come?” he asked as she nodded in response. “When I found you, at first I thought you were dead. What has he done to you?” he asked quietly.
“I think when you finally found me today," she said. "I looked asleep because I wasn’t in the dream world with you. I mean, my physical body was awake.”
She stopped and looked at him. “This doesn’t make any sense, does it?”
Harry was quiet for a long moment before answering. “Ginny, not much of what has happened to any of us over that last few years has made sense. You and I have been through more at Voldemort’s hands than probably anyone else. It’s only right that we’d have some type of connection. We’re bonded in a way that really no one else can understand.” Harry reached out and took both of her hands in his. She felt her face heat as the warmth of his eyes and his heart filled her with hope.
“Thank you for trusting me Ginny. You’re not alone anymore. Tonight when we go to sleep, I’m going to come for you. I think I can get back again. We’ll face Tom together, I promise.” He said trying to offer a smile of encouragement.
Her lip began to tremble again as silent tears slid down her face. This time tears of relief as a small smile spread timidly across her face. “Harry, I don’t know how to thank you.”
He smiled back at. “You don’t need to thank me. We’re friends. Right?” She nodded and smiled as he continued. “Then…it’s a date. I’ll see you tonight, in our dreams.”
She looked up at him. His words seemed to surprise her. She leaned in stopping briefly to whisper, “Thank you Harry.” Her closeness caused a wave of emotion to flood him once again, but this time it was different. It wasn’t fear or sympathy that engulfed him, but a nervous energy that seemed to fill him from within.
He felt her exhale against his skin and time seemed frozen. In those few seconds he found himself wanting to hold her again. He wanted to comfort her and make sure she was really alright. Then before he could register what was to come, she kissed him gently on the cheek and breathed the words, “See you tonight.”
In the next moment she rose quietly and left him feeling suddenly quite alone in his bed as his door closed behind her with a small click. Harry just stared at the back of the door. The feel of her soft lips still burned on his cheek as he lifted his hand to the spot in delayed response.
What just happened here? he wondered to himself. Did I just say, 'It’s a date'? Where did that come from? Maybe she didn’t notice.
No… she noticed you git.
He lay back on his bed again thinking of her. Her eyes, her hair, and the way she walked when she left the room. He mentally shook himself for his thoughts. I’ve got to snap out of it. Ginny’s Ron’s little sister,” he argued aloud. “Yeah, but she’s also sixteen. Hell! When did that happen and how did I miss it?”
Just then his door opened again, causing him to jump. For some reason he felt very guilty as if he’d been doing something very wrong just now. It was Fred.
“Oi! Harry!" Fred called out. "What are you on about? What happened and what did you miss?”
Harry was stunned temporarily, “Oh, nothing…I thought I forgot my…” scanning the room his eyes fell on his cloak, “my invisibility cloak, but I see it right over there now.”
Looking a little skeptical Fred continued, "Aren’t you ever coming back down? What’s the point of keeping you company if you insist on staying in your room all day?”
Harry looked sheepish. “Er, yeah, I just needed a little rest. I’m coming now.” With that he got up and crossed the room to rejoin the others downstairs.
As he entered the kitchen he caught Ginny’s gaze from across the room. He wanted to be alone with her again. He wanted to talk about the dream more, to plan their attack, but it would have to wait. She was pretty clear she hadn’t told anyone else. He didn’t want to break her trust. If anyone found out, it would come from her, not him.
With a sigh he thought to himself, This is going to be a very long day.
Now that he knew it was Ginny suffering in his dreams, he simply wanted the day to end so he could go to her and take care of her. He wanted to end her misery. He didn’t know how he’d do it, but he simply had to find a way.
Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Time for Bed
Chapter 5 Time for BedMorning crept into afternoon. Hour by hour the day seemed to drag on unmercifully while his thoughts continued to dwell on returning to free Ginny from her nightmares.
Since their startling conversation in his room, Harry's mind had been deluged by a raging flood of questions. There were so many things he wanted to ask, but he'd had very little opportunity in which to do it. Frustration was beginning to set in as he repeatedly tried to get her alone to talk.
Ginny seemed to pick up on Harry's subtle attempts and at one point tried to help. While her brothers were distracted, she had given Harry a discreet nod and then exited to the kitchen. Harry grabbed the opportunity and followed her a few seconds later. It certainly seemed like a good idea until the twins followed right behind him no more than a moment later. Harry wasn't sure if it was just coincidence or if for some reason the twins felt the need to chaperone their movements.
Since Harry had emerged from his room, Mad-Eye had made himself scarce. He was busy tinkering with something, but Harry didn't really know what. What he did know was that having the paranoid, ex-Auror preoccupied with something other than watching them had lightened the mood immeasurably. They weren't really afraid of Moody. As long as they tread lightly around him so as not to startle him, they'd be fine. None of them took Moody's gruffness to heart any longer, but he did tend to throw cold water on the festivities from time to time with his "Constant vigilance!" mantra.
Fred and George, on the other hand, were nothing if not entertaining. Their stories and antics were somewhat of a distraction, but Harry was still finding it hard to think of anything but the mission that awaited him later that night.
After a couple of hours, it seemed the twins had exhausted all points of conversational interest and had moved on to long bouts of silence. Just when Harry had worked out a new way of pulling Ginny aside for a talk, her brothers announced they had other plans.
Noting the lull in the conversation, Fred decided to take matters in hand. Rising quite suddenly from his perch on the arm of the chair, he looked at the group with a grin. "This party's gone a bit dull. What we need here is a bit of a stretch. Wouldn't you agree George?" he asked, turning to his twin with a grin.
"Yeah, I reckon that would be nice," he answered as he turned devilishly to Harry. "What do you think, Harry?"
Harry had been watching the twins with reservation. He'd seen that gleam before and usually it wasn't good. Harry wasn't sure what they were on about at the moment, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know either. When no further explanation was offered however, his curiosity got the better of him and Harry asked, "What do I think about what?"
He glanced nervously at Ginny trying to read her expression. Were her brothers bored enough with trying to amuse him that they had now moved on to amusing themselves? Ron and Percy were their usual targets of choice, but since they were currently absent, Harry began to fear that Fred and George had decided to focus their energies on him instead. If so, what kind of 'game' would they come up with? He couldn't help but wonder if having a 'stretch' with the infamous Weasley twins involved eating one of their joke shop creations and then actually being pulled like a band of taffy until he was 'stretched' beyond belief? All in good fun, of course.
Harry began to slowly back away from the twins as he searched his mind for escape routes. That's completely pointless, he argued with himself. You can't go anywhere. You'll just have to take it and be done with it. He told himself. They wouldn't do anything permanent…at least not on purpose. He felt less reassured than he'd hoped. Before Harry could react he saw Fred nod knowingly to George. Oh here it comes… Harry thought.
"Would you fancy a spot of flying Harry?" George inquired innocently with the edge of a smile curling his lips.
Harry halted his retreat and stood dumbfounded in response. Flying? Are they really suggesting what I think they're suggesting? When he found his voice Harry said, "You must be joking… You are, aren't you?"
"Are we? No, I don't think so," Fred answered with a smile to match his twin's.
"How do you propose we do that? I mean, I seriously doubt Dumbledore or the Order would appreciate me jumping on my Firebolt for a bit of a joy ride smack dab in the middle of Muggle London. Don't you think we'd attract a little too much undue attention? The local Muggles are bound to notice four people swooping around in the air on brooms," Harry said, trying to sound like the voice of reason.
Upon consideration, Harry wasn't sure that reasoning was the right approach in the case of the Weasley twins. They were quite a pair of mischief makers and you wouldn't be far off the mark if you lumped them in with the "Marauders". They'd earned the title outright while they haunted the halls and lesser known passages of Hogwarts. Fred and George certainly weren't strangers to 'creative' thinking, but what they were suggesting was a bit more than simple mischief. Harry could hear just hear the harangue now about being irresponsible and disregarding everyone's efforts to keep him safe. Besides the Order's lectures, Mrs. Weasley would probably have kittens and then blast them straightaway with a howler.
"Harry!" Fred interjected in a tone of mock disappointment as his red headed twin clutched his chest for effect. They were acting as though Harry had just mortally wounded them.
"You've cut us to the quick! You aren't really suggesting that we'd do something that hadn't been board approved?" George asked in shock.
"Well…" Harry began as he looked over at Ginny to find she was now smiling in amusement. All it took was a slight nod of confirmation from her for Harry to forget that this idea may be a bit on the dodgy side. Harry reasoned if Ginny thought it was okay, perhaps there was something to it after all.
Visions of soaring through the air began to fill Harry's mind and his heartbeat quickened with the thought of it. "What's the plan?" he added with renewed anticipation.
George waggled his eyebrows with a broad grin and a nod of satisfaction to his brother. "Accio brooms!" the twins called loudly together.
In a matter of seconds, Harry could here the familiar whistling sound of something moving swiftly through the air. He turned just in time to see four brooms heading straight for them. Fred and George each caught two in their hands then turned to face Harry and Ginny. Fred tossed Ginny's to her and George held up Harry's to him. "Care to have a go Harry?"
"Absolutely!" he responded with joy as he reached for his prized broom. "There's still the small matter of me not being allowed to leave headquarters though; any ideas?" Harry asked hopefully.
Seeing that they were serious and that he wasn't about to be the subject of one of their test products after all, he'd now abandoned worrying about if they should go and had moved happily on to thoughts of how they could do it without being caught.
"Well, not to worry, Harry. Dumbledore decided that it would be best if you could get out and about a bit during your stay here, on 'Order approved outings' of course." Fred offered cheekily.
"How do we get approval, then?" Harry asked quickly beginning to feel his anticipation build within him.
"Well, Fred, shall we let young Mr. Potter out and about on this fine afternoon?" George asked playfully.
"Oh yes, I think so," Fred responded. "Let's approve the outing."
"There you go, Harry," the twins said in unison.
"That's…That's it?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Yep, nothing to it really. After all, we are on duty for the Order now. That gives us the authority to act in your best interest as we see fit. Right now we believe it's in your best interest to get out of here for awhile."
"It's a bit scary really, isn't it?" Ginny said giggling at the expression on Harry's giddy face. "Those two having the authority of the Order, I mean."
"That's good enough for me!" Harry said with a shrug breaking into a smile that, for the first time, reached his eyes.
"Alright then, right this way, Harry." Without further ado, the twins traipsed off through the house until they reached the back door.
Producing their wands from their pockets they turned to face Harry and Ginny briefly. "You may want to stand back a bit," Fred said motioning to them as he opened the door to the back garden.
As the others watched expectantly, Fred said loudly, "Muggalus Repulsus!" with a flick of his wand.
Harry recognized the spell as a Muggle repelling charm that he'd heard numerous times at the Quidditch World Cup.
"Allow me, 'Hortus Expandere!' George said as he cast a second, less familiar spell into the garden.
"What was that?" Harry asked.
"Well, Harry my boy; we can't just go flying about without certain precautions, now can we." Fred began. "As part of the preparations for your arrival the Order decided that it'd be wise if you could get out for some fresh air now and again. Take a walk, fly, and perhaps take a swim in the lake if it suited you."
"The lake?!" Harry asked in astonishment. "I didn't realize the back garden was that large."
"Well, it isn't normally, but with a few well placed spells, like 'Hortus Expandere,' you've got instantly expandable grounds. The first spell was to ward off nosy Muggle neighbors from peering out of their windows and into our garden while it's in use. The second spell expands the garden to rather enormous proportions, if I do say so myself. Now we have an area roughly the size of a couple of Quidditch pitches in which to muck about as we see fit. If you like, you can even take the path through the woods to the lake for a dip," George said with a bit of pride in his voice.
"It sounds like the Order's thought of everything." Harry said in astonishment.
"Just about, I'd say. There's only one thing that they forgot." Ginny said as she entered from the lounge with a trunk in tow. Harry hadn't realized she'd gone until he heard her speak as she reentered the room. "Lucky, I have my own set for practicing." She'd gone to collect her crate of Quidditch balls.
"Here, let me help you." Harry offered as he grabbed hold of one end.
Harry and Ginny began to head towards the door when their path was blocked by George. "Hold it you two. There's one more measure we need to engage before we can enjoy the great outdoors."
With that he took his wand and tapped it twice on the wall. A small switch appeared and George reached out to give it a flip.
"What's that for?" Harry asked. "I didn't think that electrical switches worked in magical homes."
"Oh, it's not ekletrical, Harry. It's the switch for the SEP field," Fred said by way of an explanation.
"Sorry, but what exactly is a SEP field?" he asked feeling like this was probably one of those times that growing up in a Muggle home was once again a disadvantage.
"Well, it takes our problem and makes it someone else's," George said with a grin.
"I don't follow," Harry said still confused by the switch.
"Think of it this way, it's like a cloaking charm for the entire grounds. It's one of the nicer features that Moody added as part of his modifications to the house. It basically hides the garden and surrounding area from Muggles and unwanted wizard folk alike." Fred explained. "If anyone comes poking around looking for Order Headquarters, they won't be able to spot us or hear us even if they're standing right beside us. It's similar to the charm that protects the Knight Bus in theory and execution, with a few special modifications to meet our purposes. It's also a bit more flexible than the Fidelious Charm."
"That's brilliant!" Harry exclaimed.
In response, Harry heard a single "Humph," from behind followed by some indistinguishable grumbling. Moody had been listening and although Harry could tell Moody was trying to act disinterested, he seemed pleased with Harry's reaction.
"Thanks, professor. This is wonderful," Harry said, turning to address the retreating Auror.
Not wanting to appear too pleased, Moody turned to offer some of his own brand of advice. "You lot just stay out of trouble! Just because there are certain safety measures in place, doesn't mean you should let down your guard out there! You've got to practice…"
"…constant vigilance. Yes, we know," Harry added with a smile.
"Humph." Moody snorted in response again and headed back into the lounge.
"Well, shall we then?" Fred asked with a flourish of his hand toward the door.
Without another word they headed out into the garden. Stepping into the warm summer sunlight was like breathing again. Harry's preoccupation with what the evening would bring was quickly wiped from his mind as he and Ginny dropped the Quidditch trunk to the ground.
For a moment, he stood quietly just taking in the amazing garden. It would definitely warrant his Uncle Vernon's envy. It was large and lush with beautiful flowers banking its borders. The sky was a perfect blue with only a few wispy clouds swiping the horizon. Just as the twins had said, more than 200 meters from the house was a thick forest with a welcoming path at its center. No doubt, the lake lay beyond as promised.
Ginny watched as Harry's expression went from one of awe to utter happiness. "What do you think?" she asked as she walked over to stand next to him quietly.
"It's amazing!" Harry answered excitedly.
"You should have seen it before we cleaned it out. We spent the better part of a week getting rid of all the dangerous plants that had grown up in this place over the years. Devil's Snare, Poison dart flowers, the lot. It was a bit like 'cleaning' the house only nothing in there attempted to grab you around the ankles and pull you into the ground. We could have used Neville, actually. He's so good with Herbology and his passion for exotic plants would have come in handy, especially in that corner over there," she said with a bit of a shudder.
"Well, you've certainly done a wonderful job. You'd never know that this place used to belong to a family of dark wizards," Harry said smiling appreciatively as he gazed around at the results of their labors.
"Yes, it is rather lovely isn't' it?" She responded, admiring the rainbow of colorful flowers dotting the garden.
Harry looked down at her and watched her enjoying the landscape. He was taken by the way the sunlight played off the rich ginger color of her hair as it swayed with the movement of the breeze. Quietly he answered her without thinking, "Yes, it is." What she didn't know was that he wasn't talking about the garden -- she looked beautiful all windswept and tanned and he couldn't help but notice.
Having seen the garden before, Fred and George weren't as keen on surveying the property at any length. "How 'bout we do a bit of flying to bring you and Ginny back up to snuff for the upcoming Quidditch season?" Fred asked.
"Yeah, that sounds great!" Harry answered.
"We'll play two on two. Ginny you go with George. Harry you're with me. Now, since we've only got two on a team, we won't use the Bludgers or the snitch." Fred reasoned.
"No Bludgers? Where's the fun in that?" George asked a bit disgruntled.
"Well, the fun lies in the fact that we won't get walloped senseless. Without enough players forBbeaters, do you really want those nasty little buggers flying about?" Fred asked.
"Oh, right. No, I suppose not," George responded in agreement.
"Alright then, George and I will be Keepers. You and Ginny can be Chasers. First team to score 100 points wins." Fred finished his run down of the rules and then grabbed the Quaffle from the crate.
As the twins took off into the air, Ginny took the opportunity to raise the stakes a bit. "Good luck, Harry. You'll need it," she teased. "After all, I am an experienced Chaser. All you have to do is catch a tiny little ball once during the whole game. I've done it. It's hardly a challenge. I much prefer Chasing to Seeking," she said with a shrug of indifference, holding back a smirk.
"Hardly a challenge? Oh really? I'd say that sounds like you've thrown down the gauntlet, Miss Weasley. I'd watch your back if I were you," he said with a wink.
With that Harry mounted his Firebolt and shot into the air so fast that it caused the wind that he'd churned up to knock Ginny slightly off kilter.
"Show off," she giggled as she righted herself and mounted her broom. Pushing off from the ground she rose rapidly to join Harry and her brothers who were now circling the garden in large sweeping loops.
Harry never felt better than when he was flying. Soaring through the air, his cares always seem to fade as he increased the distance between him and the ground below. He couldn't help but think briefly of his godfather as he circled the tree tops. If he could see Harry now, he'd be smiling for sure. Harry only wished they'd thought of using the same charms when Sirius had been living in the house. It would have made things a lot easier on him.
Knowing that Sirius would be happy for him now made it easier to enjoy the moment. Harry moved into a series of complex flying maneuvers he had picked up from watching the World Cup, then returned to the center of the makeshift pitch with Ginny and the others.
When they were all ready, Fred tossed the Quaffle into the air and the game began. Ginny grabbed it first and Harry zoomed after her to block her path. She swooped around him, inverted to avoid him, and effortlessly scored her first goal.
A bit surprised at her reaction time, Harry recovered by yelling, "I gave you that one Weasley."
"Yeah, right Potter," she answered with a laugh as she flew over him and they began again.
As they played, Harry began to notice that Ginny had obviously been practicing throughout the holiday. She hadn't lost a thing from last season. In fact, she was even better than before. Harry became lost in thought watching her aerial acrobatics when Fred called a time out and swooped over to Harry.
Ginny was actually coming close to outscoring Harry and winning the game.
Apparently, Fred didn't like to lose and he minced no words in telling Harry as much. "Get in the game, Potter, before my baby sister humiliates us!"
Realizing he had been totally distracted by Ginny, he began playing with a renewed focus. In the end, it was still rather close, and Harry was impressed. Ginny never once thought that her chances of beating Harry were out of the question. After all, he was a Seeker. He wasn't used to scoring like she was, truth be told she was indeed a gifted Chaser and she knew it. Her confidence and strength were two things he really admired about Ginny.
It wasn't until the sun started to set, and the twins were complaining of growling stomachs, that they decided to end the game. They talked and laughed as they walked back into the house. Harry felt more at home at Grimmauld Place than he had ever felt before and even managed to forget his worries temporarily.
Inside the house, Ginny pulled dinner together. Everything was cooked. She just needed to warm it and put some finishing touches the meal. Harry went upstairs to take a quick shower before dinner. As he descended the stairs afterward he followed the wonderful smell permeating the house. Entering the kitchen, he realized he was pretty hungry himself. Moody had gone and it was just Harry and the Weasleys now. Dinner was relaxing and even fun as they sat around recounting their match out back.
After dinner, Fred and George asked if Harry would mind spending a little time with Ginny. They had some urgent Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes business to attend to and wanted to do it while their mum was absent.
Harry and Ginny looked at each other and she asked, "How about a game of chess?"
Harry smiled, "Yeah, sure." Then temporarily turning his attention to the twins he asked with a grin, "What are you two trying to smuggle this time?"
They looked at each other with a smirk and George responded, "Let's just say that old Mundungus Fletcher has some quality items that we're interested in acquiring. Mum doesn't seem to see the value in his 'merchandise'. It's just easier this way. By the way, could we borrow Hedwig?"
Harry smiled with a nod then added, "Yeah, sure. If she's back, that is. She'd be up in my room."
The twins started up the stairs talking about their plans to get a bargain out of 'Old Dung.' Harry couldn't help but laugh at their business savvy. They had definitely found their niche.
When Harry looked back at Ginny she was setting up the chessboard. Her long ginger hair fell around her face and shoulders as she bent over the board carefully setting the pieces in place. She looked lovely and Harry was beginning to wonder why he'd never seen it before now. What's more was that Ginny was the type of girl that didn't seem to realize her beauty which made her even more attractive to him.
She quickly tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear as she looked up and saw Harry watching her. She held his gaze for a few seconds then asked. "What? Is there something on my face or something?" She was nervously swiping at her cheek as she spoke.
Harry grinned and answered, "No…you look…fine."
Curiously she raised her eyebrow at him then said, "Well, shall we play then?"
Harry sat down on the floor opposite her and the chessboard and said, "Okay, you go first."
As they played they talked about all kinds of things. Harry was really enjoying her company and it seemed that she enjoyed his as well. They laughed and teased each other about everything from chess to Quidditch. Harry usually felt self-conscious talking to girls, but Ginny was different. It was a little like talking to Hermione, but with one rather large difference. Harry never found himself staring at Hermione and imagining himself shoving a chessboard out of the way to kiss her.
I have to get a hold of myself, Harry thought to himself as Ginny moved her knight to check his king. I can't do this. It wouldn't be fair to Ginny. My life is too uncertain to bring someone into it with me.
"Harry? Harry! It's your move. Where were you?" Ginny asked.
He blinked and shook off his daydream, "Sorry, just thinking."
A knowing expression crossed her face as she asked, "About tonight?"
Harry grabbed her thought and lied, "Yeah, I think we should talk about what we're going to do. I mean is there anything you can tell me that will help me when I get in there?" Harry had been waiting to talk to her all day about this so it wasn't really a lie, was it?
Ginny considered his question and then tried to fill in the blanks as best she could. "Well, all I can tell you is that he enters through a portal of sorts. It looks kind of like a mirror, but the surface is like liquid. I don't know how it works. It's his doorway to my mind but I don't know how he conjured it."
Harry peered at her hesitantly from across the board. For much of the evening, he had wrestled with an ominous question. He was almost afraid to ask. The longer it burned in his mind, however, the more he felt he needed to know. The last thing he wanted was to upset her or make things worse, but he had to know what they were facing. Reluctantly, he made up his mind. "Ginny? Can I ask you something?"
She looked up from the board and into his eyes. "Of course…what is it?"
In a quiet voice he asked, "What is he doing to you…in your dreams? I've heard your screams enough to know it has to be pretty awful."
Harry watched in anguish as the color drained from her face and her eyes dropped to the floor. He heard a small shudder in her breath as she seemed to drift back to the painful memories locked in her mind. Seeing her tormented in this way was agonizing for him. He couldn't stand it any longer. He suddenly wished he could take back his inquiry. "Ginny, if it's too painful, you don't have to tell me."
She was quiet for a minute then looked back into those eyes filled with concern. "Sometimes he uses the Cruciatus Curse. Actually, it's mostly that. He wants me to tell him about you and the Order. I've told him he'll just have to kill me because I'll never tell him anything. I owe you my life."
Harry took a second to absorb her words. When he saw the solemn pledge mirrored in her eyes, he knew she was serious. She'd give her life for me. He didn't quite know what to do with that information. It wasn't like he didn't have others who cared for him. Ron and Hermione would definitely throw themselves between Harry and death. They had done so on several occasions before now. It wasn't something he liked to think about, but he knew in his heart that it was true, just as he would do and had done for them.
"Ginny, I'm so sorry this is happening to you. Getting close to me never seems to be a good thing, for anyone." Harry felt his stomach wrench as he spoke the words. His eyes were beginning to sting and he had to look away. Once again the cruel realty of his life had struck home. Once again he had hurt a friend, simply by existing. This beautiful, warm, and innocent girl was suffering through a horrific experience all because of him.
"No, Harry, you can't blame yourself. Look at me, please," she implored.
After a short pause he sighed and turned to face her. With the weight of his full attention now upon her, she spoke four small, but meaningful words. "You're worth the risk," she said quietly with a shy smile then she added. "It's okay, Harry; I'd do just about anything for you."
He searched her eyes in bewilderment for the meaning behind her words. Before he could stop himself he had asked, "Why?"
She seemed to be turning a bit flush as she answered, "I think you know." Changing directions suddenly she plunged on, "Actually, the Cruciatus wasn't really the worst of it." She added quietly.
Harry gaped in disbelief. "What? What could be worse than that?"
Her gaze returned to the floor as she answered in almost a whisper, "He comes to me as Tom, as his teenage self. I guess because he was a teenager in the diary and that's the part of him that possessed me. That's how he appears to me now. He wants… more than information. He said he knows I'm a…" She stopped and looked away as if she couldn't believe she was telling him this.
Harry could feel her reluctance. It was as if she was embarrassed or ashamed to share this with him. Trying to encourage her he prompted, "He knows you're a what?"
Ginny continued in silence which only allowed the horrendous possibilities to weave their way through the fabric of Harry's mind. He could feel his contempt for Riddle intensify as he asked more emphatically. "What has he done to you Ginny?"
Her eyes filled quickly with tears. "A virgin," she said almost inaudibly.
Harry gaped at her, unsure of what to say as she pressed on in disgust. "He knows I'm a virgin. He said that's how he likes his women…pure. Pure blooded and pure of virtue he called it. He, he kissed me and tou…did other things in my nightmares. When I fought him, he just laughed at me. He told me that if I didn't talk soon, he'd…make use of me in other ways."
Ginny paused as she attempted to control her emotions. In her mind's eye she could see Tom looming over her. For a moment it was as though she had been pulled back into her nightmare. She trembled as she imagined his repulsive lips upon hers. A wave of nausea washed over her at the thought his vulgar hands making contact with her body. She winced and attempted to shake the vile memories from her mind before continuing. "Either way, he said that he was sure I would be…beneficial to him. That's when I knew I needed help. I can't get away, not without you."
Harry could feel anger welling within him as she spoke. Voldemort was not going to hurt her anymore. He'd make sure of it. "I promise you Ginny, he'll NEVER touch you again." He looked toward the stairs, "I don't think they're coming back down. Let's finish this!"
Ginny was stunned as she looked at him. "Now?"
"Yes, now," he answered with finality.
"Harry, are you sure you want to do this? Right now?" she asked feeling a surge of anxiety.
He quietly rose from his seat with determination and held out his hand to help her up. "Go to sleep and I'll be with you as soon as I can. Until I join you, fight him."
A wave of panic crossed her face as she looked into his eyes. "Harry, maybe we should talk more about this first. It could be dangerous for you to come to me while Tom's there. I don't want you to get hurt."
He allowed his hand to drop to his side and tried to reassure her, "Ginny, you called me to you. Don't change your mind. You have to trust me. I have wanted to help you ever since our dreams mixed. I have to stop this. I can't stand the thought of him touching you or hurting you again.
She looked up at his serious expression and nodded quietly offering a small smile of acceptance.
With that he again offered her his hand to help her up from her seat on the floor. "Right then." He said as her small hand slid gently into his. "Come on Ginny, we're going to bed."
A/N: Once again I would like to thank my wonderful betas, Tante and Sonicdale. Thank you for helping inspire me to push my imagination and my emotional insights.
By the way, five points to the House of any student who spotted the Hitchhiker's Guide reference to the SEP field. Thank you to Douglas Adams for the use of his Somebody Else's Problem field for the back garden at Grimmauld Place. I'm sure Harry is quite grateful as well. ;-)
Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Unspoken Wishes
Chapter 6 Unspoken WishesGinny stared at Harry in disbelief as he resolutely held out his hand to her. His expression was tense and serious. Slowly she looked from his face to his outstretched palm and then as if in slow motion, she reached out and allowed his hand to close around hers. Before she could fully stand, Harry started towards the stairs with her in tow.
Ginny’s heart beat quickened as she focused on the fact that Harry, the boy whom she’d secretly loved for years, was leading her to bed. She had fantasized about him saying those words so many times before, but of course the circumstances weren’t exactly what she had pictured in her fantasies. She struggled to rein in her emotions, but the touch of his hand caused a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had to get her thoughts and body in check before she said or did something she’d regret, that is if she hadn’t already.
Ginny was thoroughly conflicted. Compounding the situation was his intense reaction to her admission of Riddle’s plans for her. Although she tried to conceal her feelings, Harry’s sudden burst of anger had frightened her on multiple levels. She was panic-stricken by what could happen if he stormed in there without the proper time to relax and gather his thoughts. In addition to her fear for Harry’s safety, she couldn’t help but wonder if his outburst meant something more.
Does he finally see me as more than a friend? She wondered silently. Or possibly even more frightening, am I even ready for that? What if I can’t give him what he needs? He could push me away completely.
Her thoughts opened avenues to terrifying, but exciting new possibilities. Now isn’t the time. She’d have to push her questions from her mind for now. There were more pressing matters at hand. He needed to be calm and focused as he entered the chamber of her dreams. Right now, she knew he was anything but calm.
Harry stopped on the landing and turned to Ginny. The tension in his face began to ease a bit as he met her eyes. Sadness replaced anger as he dropped her hand and absorbed the anguish that plagued her features. The image of Riddle touching her and hurting her in ‘that way’ was burned into his imagination. He would be enraged by Riddle doing that to any girl, but this was Ginny. She was his friend, his best friend’s sister, and it ripped at his heart when she said that it was ‘worse than the Cruciatus Curse.’
Harry had been a recipient of that curse and the pain it caused was so unbearable he’d simply wished for death. The fact that she’d rather have that curse than Riddle’s hands on her was an absolutely shattering thought for Harry.
Harry’s throat constricted and his heart ached when he considered the torture she had endured at Riddle’s hand. He marveled at her fortitude for living with the nightmare for so long. Gazing warmly down at the small, beautiful, girl before him, Harry wanted desperately to make it all go away for her. He wanted nothing more than to take away the pain and fear the same way that he wished so many times before that someone would make things go away for him. Ginny had shouldered this pain bravely for much too long and, from that moment on, Harry vowed to share her burden. He wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. In a low, gentle voice he spoke.
“Ginny, wait,” he said, but was unsure of his next move. Acting on impulse he slowly he slid his hands up her arms and caressed her skin with the gentlest of touches. He glided his hands up past her shoulders and intertwined his fingers at the nape of her neck. He searched his mind for something, anything that would alleviate her nerves. As his breath slowly escaped from his lungs he leaned his forehead gently against hers in defeat. Words had failed him.
She shuddered as she felt his warmth wash over her. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she tried to keep from physically shivering from his tenderness. She fought hard against the sudden need to wrap her arms around him. She slowly allowed her eyes to drift closed as she relaxed under his touch.
Gradually he pulled back from her a bit and watched her expression as she released the tension from her face. He was struck by how incredible she looked and he wondered what it would be like to watch her sleep.
When she opened her eyes, exhaling slowly, she met his gaze. It was completely mesmerizing. She wasn’t quite sure what was happening, she just knew that they were standing very close to each other. Close enough to feel him breathing against her skin and at the moment, she didn’t care much about being rescued in her dream. She was living a dream at that very moment and she didn’t want it to end.
Harry sighed deeply as he stood before her. His mind raced wildly with everything that had happened that day. Could it have really been just this morning that he realized the girl in his dreams was Ginny?
Then there was the matter of their conversation in the lounge. He had been thinking about one comment in particular as he led her up the stairs. She said she would do ‘anything’ for him. When he asked her why, her only response was “I think you know.” For Harry, it was a loaded comment. It could be interpreted in a couple of ways. He wondered if he was assuming too much to believe his first thought. Did she have feelings for him, even now? She wasn’t exactly eleven anymore. Surely she didn’t hold onto those feelings all these years. Did she?
His mind raced back to an evening that he and Hermione had spent talking. Harry had always known Ginny had a bit of a crush on him when she was little, but she had gone on to date other boys. He thought she had gotten him out of her system. Now, looking down at her beautiful, brown, doe eyes, he wasn’t so sure. He kept replaying Hermione’s words over in his head. “Ginny’s moved on now, Harry.” He found himself selfishly wishing she hadn’t “moved on” as his heartbeat quickened at the closeness of her body.
At this point he didn’t know for sure what he felt. His emotions were a tangled web of confusion. He knew he cared for Ginny. It started when he rescued her from the Chamber of Secrets, but it solidified when she refused to be left behind as he left for the Department of Mysteries in his fifth year. She had willingly risked her life then and he felt sure she’d do it again if the circumstances called for it. The facts were, you don’t experience what they had together and not form a bond. She had been much more than ‘Ron’s little sister’ for years. They had become good friends. She was fun and independent. He had found her great to talk to, especially when Ron and Hermione started in on each other.
However, today he realized something new, something so obvious that he couldn’t understand why it hadn’t struck him sooner. He felt a need well up inside him, something much more primal. Today he realized she was no longer a little girl. She was a young woman, a young woman that he found very, very attractive.
He had to work hard to resist the temptation to pounce on her during their chess game as he watched her lips as she spoke. The way she bit her lower lip as she contemplated her next move nearly drove him to the brink. How could such a simple act be so incredibly sexy? Then there was her hair. He followed it as she moved. He felt a surge in his body as he watched her innocently sweep it back behind her ear as she considered her next chess move. She looked so innocent and so completely unaware of the fantasies that were racing through his hormone-injected mind.
But where could this really lead? He asked himself. It wouldn’t be fair to tell her I think I fancy her then up and get myself killed within the year, perhaps even sooner. The last thing Harry wanted was to hurt her more. Regardless of how he felt, or how she may feel about him, this was for the best. No, it’s better if she never knows.
Ginny was beginning to squirm as Harry stood gazing down at her. His silence lasted longer than he intended and the tension between them had been steadily increasing. Ginny cleared her throat and asked quietly, “Wha…what is it Harry?”
He snapped back to the present and focused on her beautiful eyes as she looked up at him. Worry spread unchecked across her face as she asked, “Have you…er…changed your mind? If you have, it’s okay, I understand. I know the last thing you want to do is face him again. It seems you always have to rescue me and I don’t blame you if…”
She had begun to ramble and Harry cut her off. “No Ginny! Of course I haven’t changed my mind! I would do anything to help you. You’re my friend.”
What he had really wanted to say was “you’re beautiful, and if the table and chess board hadn’t separated us, I may have lost all control and simply kissed you until we forgot our names.” Instead he just sighed, as the words stayed lodged in his mind.
He cast around for something else to say and added, “I just wanted to say that maybe you should give me a few minutes, you know, before you try to sleep. I need to calm down a bit or I’ll never be able to join you.”
That was not a lie actually. He didn’t think he would be able to just go in and fall right to sleep. He wasn’t the least bit tired. He was agitated from hearing what Tom had done to her, and in all honesty, a bit rattled from her standing so close to him.
Harry noted a look of what appeared to be disappointment on her face as she said, “Oh right. I guess I’ll need a little time to relax before drifting off, as well. If you’re sure that’s all then?”
“Er…yeah. That’s all, unless you wanted to say something else.” He didn’t know what he expected, but he hoped that she’d give him a reason not to leave.
She looked up at him wanting to cry out to him, to slowly brush her lips against his, but she was sure he didn’t have the same feelings that she did. He never had. To him she was just a friend. He had said so himself. She tried to put the thought of his touch out of her mind. He was so tender, almost loving as he had caressed her. He had awakened her senses as he gently brushed against her neck. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he had wanted more than to comfort her, but she was sure that’s all it really was. She’d seen him hold Hermione to comfort her before too, hadn’t she? Suddenly she wasn’t so sure. Keeping her emotions and hopes in check she attempted to convince herself that Harry was just being, well Harry. Besides, she couldn’t help but feel it would be very selfish of her to tell him about her feelings now. It wouldn’t be right to put more pressure on him, not when he’s about to face Riddle.
Hoping he hadn’t noticed the hitch in her breathing when he touched her one last time before lowering his hands she answered, “Um…I guess we should just go in, lie down, and wait for sleep.”
“Er…Yeah, well see you soon then,” Harry answered.
“Okay...” she responded quietly as she wondered what was happening. Where is he going? She thought.
Since the beginning of their discussions she assumed that he would spend the night with her. Well, at least that they would sleep in the same room. She’d been bolstered during the day by the notion that he’d be close to her as she entered her dream. She mentally kicked herself as she realized she had obviously misunderstood his intentions. Thankfully she hadn’t said anything that revealed her false impressions, but that didn’t erase the fact that going to bed alone was now more daunting than ever.
He sensed hesitation in her voice. “Ginny, are you going to be okay?” he asked in a last ditch effort to prolong his departure.
If she gives me any indication that she needs me here, I’m not leaving. He thought hoping that she’d ask him to stay.
The fact was, Harry didn’t like the idea of being down the hall, but didn’t know how she’d feel about sharing her bed or at least her room with him for the night. Plus, there was the small matter of her twin brothers. If they caught Harry sleeping with Ginny, no matter how innocent it looked, he was pretty sure that jovial banter and Tri-Wizard winnings wouldn’t cut it. No with Fred and George, all bets would be off.
Harry wouldn’t have the chance to find out. Unfortunately, for them both, Ginny chose to put up a strong front. “I’ll be fine, really. It helps to know that you’ll be coming. I’ll be waiting for you.” She smiled weakly and then said, “Good night.”
“Good night Ginny.” He opened her bedroom door and stood by as he watched her enter her room and close the door behind her. As the door clicked shut he let the air ease out of his lungs as his eyes closed. He stood at her door for a second leaning against the frame. All he could think about was how close he came to leaning down to kiss her when he leaned his forehead against hers. She felt so good in his hands. He rubbed his hands over his eyes and through his disheveled hair trying to wipe the thoughts from his mind. Sighing resolutely he slowly turned and headed quietly to his room down the hall.
Harry moved inside, shutting the door to lean against it. He sighed in frustration as he felt the weight of his emotions slowly closing in on him. Fear, anger, sadness, desire — so many feelings rolled into one.
His thoughts were reeling and his heart was pounding. Harry was finding it a struggle to wipe the lingering effects of Ginny from his mind. The smell of her hair and the softness of her skin were paralyzing. Wanting her wasn’t going to save her and it was probably going to drive him mad, especially if just one evening was any indication of what she could unwittingly do to him. He decided then and there that he needed to keep his distance from her.
That wasn’t exactly going to be easy with them spending the next 5 weeks together in the same house. Not to mention the fact that he didn’t know how long he’d have to continue to enter her dreams. He decided to worry about that later. There were more pressing matters at hand at the moment as he remembered what had been troubling him for weeks now as he slept
He couldn’t let Voldemort win this round. He had to get a grip on himself. He couldn’t allow himself to be distracted. Tom Riddle was up to something and it was time he found out what.
A/N: Thank you to my wonderfully creative betas, Tante and Sonicdale, who always offer me lots of food for thought
Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Ginny's Nightmare
Chapter 7 Ginny’s NightmareClosing the door, Ginny let her body fall back against it in despair. As reality struck home, the brief respite she received picturing Harry at her side evaporated with the hollow click of the latch. Seconds melted into minutes as she fought for composure and began to wrap her mind around yet another night with Riddle.
“I’m being ridiculous,” she groaned in annoyance to the empty room. “He’s not here. Now, deal with it, Ginevra.” She exhaled the pressure closing in upon her chest as she reassured herself. “He’ll be in the Chamber. That’s all that matters.”
That’s what she told herself, but her heart and body wove a different tale. She felt dazed from the intensity of her encounter with Harry. If only it hadn’t felt so lovely having him near, this would be much easier now. She allowed the scene on the landing to replay through her mind. Something passed between us.
Touching her forehead where his had rested so tenderly, she could almost feel him. It was as if he’d left a brand of hope on her skin. Would he have pulled away if I had put my arms around him or given him a kiss? Her heart ached with longing to know, but shook herself back to reality. At least I managed not to make a complete fool of myself by pulling him in here and begging him to stay. No chances taken, no risks involved -- and Harry and I remain friends.
Finding some solace in her logic, Ginny padded to her mirror. Slipping into her nightdress, she peered at her reflection in the dim light of the room.
“What a pretty thing you are, my dear,” the mirror sighed. “Such striking hair!”
“Hmph,” was her response.
Plain, ordinary Ginny, she grumbled to herself, with plain ordinary freckles and flaming ginger hair. If I had Cho’s exotic features, then I’d have a chance of turning Harry’s head, she reasoned. He obviously finds that raven-haired, natural beauty-type appealing ... along with the bulk of the male population of Hogwarts. She sighed in resignation. I suppose being his friend is better than being ‘Ron’s little sister’ at any rate.
“That’s enough dawdling, Ginevra,” she admonished her reflection. “He can’t help if you never go to sleep.”
With renewed purpose she turned to the bed and struggled to control her sudden feelings of panic and nausea. She used to love snuggling into her cozy bed at the Burrow, but over recent weeks it had evolved from a welcoming comfort to rather oversized, cold and lonely. In fact, since the nightmares began, her warm bed had become nothing more than a torture device. This bed was even larger than her bed at the Burrow and looked even more threatening. Scanning the room for alternatives, she opted for an overstuffed armchair by the window.
That’s better, she thought as she curled up with her feet tucked neatly beneath her. I’ll just sit for a bit, and then go to bed. The warm evening breeze drifting through the window caressed her skin and soothed her nerves. Much better, she sighed, snuggling deeper into the chair and clutching a small pillow tightly against her chest.
As her senses gradually dimmed to a glimmer, clear thoughts and feelings became distant and foggy in her mind. The lingering warmth of Harry’s touch, all but disappeared into the mist. In its place, she found nothing but overwhelming anxiety as a litany of new sensations methodically invaded her body and mind.
She shivered against the sudden chill to the air. All warmth bled from her trembling body as the cold, hard surface of a stone slab table rose to support her. Invisible bindings constricted her wrists and ankles. Then, without warning, the final piece of the puzzle was snapped into place. Immeasurable, paralyzing pain flooded her senses making her strain against her bindings in agony. It wracked Ginny’s subconscious form mercilessly, nearly driving her into oblivion.
It’s not really happening, she thought, as tears stung her eyes. It’s a dream. It’s only a dream.
Try as she might to comfort herself, panic rose uncontrollably in her chest. She was back in the chamber and she was living the nightmare… again.
Harry’s coming, she reassured herself. Focus on Harry.
Mental diversions were of no use now. The stage was set; the first act about to begin in this sick and twisted play of torture. She knew it was only a matter of time before Tom Riddle returned to her side and the scene played out.
As if her thoughts were the trigger, the sound of rippling waves began to echo from the center of the room. Ginny didn’t have to see the water’s movement to know what was happening. She breathed deeply and steeled herself for what lay ahead. Harry please…where are you? Aren’t you coming? Harry! Ginny closed her eyes in denial before giving into reality and facing her captor. Looming over her with a repulsive leer was her worst nightmare, Tom Riddle.
His dark eyes and chiseled features would have been strikingly handsome had they worn a softer expression. As he towered over her, his cruel nature was easily read in the lines of his face. There was no beauty now, only callousness and selfish desire. Eyes that could have held warmth were filled with malevolence bubbling from within him.
Ginny’s skin prickled with disgust. Her stomach churned with revulsion at the monster before her. Any torment he sensed, any anguish he felt radiate from her body only heightened his pleasure and she simply refused to indulge him. She gathered her courage, fought down her nausea and stared back at him vacant and expressionless.
What Ginny saw in his soul was of no consequence to Riddle. It was time to play and he relished every moment of it. He leaned in close enough for her to feel his hot breath on her cheek.
“Good evening, my sweet,” he whispered. “How are we tonight?”
Ginny remained silent. Instead of meeting his gaze, she looked beyond him, staring fixedly at the chamber ceiling in response. In her mind, her emotions of fear and repulsion played out.
Harry, please… don’t let him touch me again, she pleaded in silence.
Riddle laughed as he regarded her façade and hissed in amusement, “I do believe my little guest is feeling rather feisty this evening.” He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, “I do so love your spunk, Miss Weasley. Your resistance makes this all the more interesting for me.” Riddle reveled in their little chess match of power and control. It would make his victory all the sweeter when he finally broke her.
Ginny shut her eyes tightly to maintain control over herself. As it turned out though, attempting to avoid the fire of his gaze only encouraged him to force his will upon her with more fervor. Tom Riddle didn’t abide defiance from his minions and he certainly wouldn’t accept it from a mere girl.
“Is it time for another lesson, my little tart?” he drawled in a tiresome tone. Time after time Riddle had shown her what defiance would garner, but Ginny refused to relent. “It is such a pity you haven’t learned your place yet. This could be so much more pleasurable.” His eyes flashed with wicked excitement for what was to come.
She swallowed hard and tried to refocus her mind on Harry. She pictured his warm, green eyes heating her skin. She imagined the gentle pressure of his hands as he caressed her shoulders. The wanderings of her mind allowed her a moment of peace.
Her resolve strengthened knowing that Harry was coming. It is you that will be taught a lesson tonight, Tom. She imagined the look on Riddle’s face when Harry stormed the chamber and made him pay dearly for torturing her. Her confidence grew and she opened her eyes to face Riddle again.
A sickening grin began to curve the corners of his mouth. He dropped her gaze and his eyes roved brazenly over her body appraising every inch. Riddle truly enjoyed controlling her, even if it was only her subconscious. His pleasure seemed to increase at any sign of agony from her.
Ginny knew what was coming before she felt his touch. Part of her knew that struggling was futile, but her body couldn’t help trying to avoid contact with him. The last of her self control vanished and she screamed at him to leave her alone. To her horror, every scream and whimper only fueled his excitement for their game.
He looked at her with cool amusement. “I should thank you for making this so much more exciting.” He smirked, flagrantly delighting in her misery, “I admit I find you quite intriguing, but I’m tiring of your little performance. You have something I want, and I will claim it.”
The panic that visibly washed over her sparked a surge of energy and lust through his body. His craving to control every part of her now demanded to be fed.
Smile widening, he climbed on the stone table that held her bound. His dark eyes glinted as he absorbed her radiating terror. With heat building within his belly, he whispered, “Served up as a bit of an offering, aren’t we? We’ve played enough games, little Ginny. You’ve given me only a taste of what your body has to offer. I plan to make a feast of you tonight.”
Bracing his arms on either side of her, he slowly lowered his body over her trembling form. His face was within inches of hers. His eyes paused at her rosy, full lips and impulsively licked his own in anticipation. Tears slid down her cheeks unchecked. She struggled against him and screamed into the emptiness of the chamber around her.
“Yes, that’s it!” he growled in perverse pleasure. “Fight it, I want you to fight.”
With that, something inside of her snapped. Her body fell limp under his weight. The wildness of her eyes was replaced by a glassy and distant stare.
Within her mind, she closed a door. Whatever he was about to do to her, she wasn’t going to make it better for him, not if she could help it. She would go inside herself. She would shut herself off and pretend she simply didn’t exist. He wouldn’t be granted the pleasure of breaking her. Deep in the silence of her mind though, she cried out in uncontrolled terror, Harry please, oh please… I need you.
Her silence and her refusal to struggle elevated Riddle to a fury. “Come now, this will never do.” He began snidely and paused for her reaction. When none came, he struck her hard across the face, leaving a red imprint of his hand upon her cheek. She didn’t even flinch at the contact.
“Stupid girl!” he spat. “This new tactic won’t work! I know what’s inside your head.”
Ginny remained immobile and unresponsive to his advances and threats. After a moment’s pause, he laughed at her. “If that’s how you want it, it’s fine with me. Lifeless or not, you’ll meet my needs.”
Without another word, Tom fisted his hand in her hair and jerked her head backward exposing her neck to him. He groaned with satisfaction at the taste of her skin, his other hand roving freely over her body.
Ginny winced in disgust as he moved down her neck. When he reached her collar bone, a new wave of nausea crashed over her. Her will to resist returned and her body tensed defiantly, forbidding him to move lower. She realized her mistake when he released her hair to place his other hand on her body. She felt his victorious smile press into her skin. Ginny’s expression left no hint of her emotions as she forced her body to relax. All traces of defiance and revulsion melted like ice in the warm, summer sun.
An unmistakable arrogance flowed from him as he moved to capture her mouth with his. As Ginny felt him move upward, a silent war waged inside of her to defeat the temptation to give up and give in. Suddenly, a glimmer of hope flickered into her existence and renewed confidence filled her completely.
Harry’s coming for me. He’s getting closer, she thought as she shuddered with relief and gratitude. I feel him. It’s almost over.
Riddle mistook her shudder for something quite different and parted his lips with want. To his surprise, she lifted her head from the cold stone to nearly meet him half way. In a soft, almost alluring tone, she whispered, “Yes.”
That one small word, spoke volumes in his mind. He had her and now he had her willingly. “I knew you would come to your senses, my sweet. How could you not?” he sneered.
When they were mere inches apart an unrivaled defiance welled within her and she yelled, “You disgust me, Tom!” and she spit in his face.
To her immense relief, it made him stop. She held her breath for the force of the retaliation that she knew would come. He lifted himself from her body and sighed with cool, calculated ease. As he stood by her bed of rock, he simply wiped his face with his sleeve. Several seconds ticked off as he glared at her in contempt.
As his controlled exterior returned, he exhaled a long labored breath. She knew his meager show of displeasure was far more moderate than he actually felt. His calm terrified her more than his fury. “Oh Ginny, Ginny, Ginny…I believe someone needs a reminder of who is really in charge here.”
She watched as his hand moved inside his robes to withdraw his wand. Slowly, Riddle ran it down the side of her cheek causing a chill to run up her spine and prickles of impending doom to rise on the nape of her neck.
“You know what’s coming, don’t you love?” he asked his arrogance returning. “If you would just cooperate, these little lessons wouldn’t be necessary. Learn you must, however, and I’m only too happy to teach you.”
Pointing his wand at her he yelled. “CRUCIO!”
Instantly the pain of a thousand jagged teeth tore into her flesh. She squeezed her eyes tightly as tiny dots of light burst behind her eyelids with the wretched torture. Just as she lost all sense of time and space, the affliction left her body as quickly as it had invaded. She gasped for air. Just the mere act of breathing caused her immeasurable agony and she shook uncontrollably with the aftershocks of the curse.
“Now, tell me where they are keeping Potter,” He demanded with a growl.
Still gasping and shaking she glared back defiantly and yelled, “You can go straight to hell, Tom!”
Gradually his anger seemed to dissipate. It was replaced by something she couldn’t place, but felt sure it was worse. He smirked at her, and then suddenly changing tracks he asked in amusement. “Tell me, does he know?”
She continued to glare, but spat back “Does who know what?”
With an arched eyebrow and a grin of satisfaction he offered, “You know who my dear, your precious Potter.”
His lip curved into a sneer at the mention of the name before asking, “Does he know you’re in love with him?” Her words mattered little now. She gave him exactly what he wanted in her expression. He stepped back with a maniacal laugh as she looked back at him in astonishment.
“I…I don’t love him. We’re friends, just friends.” She stammered in denial.
Continuing to laugh and shaking his head in disbelief he said, “You, my dear, are a very bad liar. I’m afraid dishonesty cannot be tolerated, Miss Weasley. You will need to be punished.” He savored her fear and anticipation as he held out his wand and yelled, “CRUCIO!”
Her screams began anew as the pain ripped through every cell of her body. She felt as though she may die, and at that point, she prayed for it. Just as she fell towards unconsciousness, he lifted the curse.
“Perhaps now you feel more like being forthright with me. Come now, my little blood traitor, where is the ‘Order’ headquarters?”
Ginny writhed and gasped as she tried to recover. “I’m…I’m not their S…Secret Keeper! I can’t tell you!” She was trying to control her emotions, but tears were blinding her eyes as she fought to remain conscious.
“Wrong answer again, my dear,” He smirked. “CRUCIO!”
She screamed in agony, convulsing for a third time as every nerve of her body overloaded. Her brain became foggy. Her will to fight diminished. If I just let go, then it will end. She thought. Death will be a sweet deliverance from this Hell. The final threads of her will to live were snapped one by one with the impossibly agonizing pain.
Somewhere in the distance a voice cried out. She recognized it vaguely, but couldn’t focus enough to identify its source. Whose voice she heard, she did not know, nor did she care. Her mind was failing. Just as she begun surrendering to the pain, the curse lifted once again.
Darkness crept in on her. Only a small stream of consciousness filtered through the pain to her mind. She could hear Riddle’s voice in the distance.
“Good girl. Now, that wasn’t so bad was it?” he asked triumphantly. “If Potter wants to play the hero to his damsel again, I have no qualms about waiting for him to arrive. This should actually be rather entertaining.” Riddle purred in satisfaction.
“Wha..what are you talking about? He’s not…” she began in vain before she was cut off by Riddle’s voice.
“Don’t you remember?” he laughed a cold mirthless laugh. “No, of course you wouldn’t. Pain does strange things to a mind, doesn’t it?”
A wave of panic washed over her as she desperately tried to remember what she had said. The memory of the voice that had seemed so far away was coming in clearer now. Snatches of words and phrases flooded her in a jumble of confusion.
“NO!” She exclaimed wild-eyed in response.
“Oh, yes.” He countered with a toothy grin filling his evil face.
The voice that cried out in desperation was hers. She’d tipped their hand. She’d threatened Riddle that Harry was coming for her. Ginny sobbed with the realization of what she had done. Harry would come for her and Riddle would be ready. In her moment of weakness she’d betrayed him. Shame filled her heart. Now she knew the worst of her fears would materialize. Her nightmare, her prison, had suddenly become a trap.
A/N: A huge debt of thanks goes out to Tante for her diligence and hard work in helping me to make this chapter what it is. I would also like to thank Sonicdale for his undying patience and wonderful insights. You are both wonderful people to work with and I am grateful to have you in my corner.
Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Into Her Dreams
Chapter 8 Into Her DreamsThe air hung thick and stifling in Harry’s room. Seeking relief, he shed his clothes and pushed open the window to breathe in the night air. Tiny bumps formed on his bare skin as a gentle breeze drifted over him.
Ginny, he sighed as he rubbed his hands roughly over his eyes in frustration. Just wipe the sensation of her from your mind Potter. You have to, he told himself as he turned and slipped between the cool linens of his bed. Settling into his downy pillow, he closed his eyes and slowly massaged his temples with his fingertips. His breathing grew deep and deliberate, but sleep stubbornly eluded him.
Falling asleep, a simple task when you think of it, Harry reasoned. Yeah, except when you’re in a hurry to do it and your body feels tense enough to explode. To make matters worse, Ginny’s words, not to mention how she looked, kept invading in his mind.
Relax, relax, relax…he chanted. Getting into her dream is what matters now, not the way she smells or how it feels to be close to her, he admonished. Those nightmares are Riddle’s sick, sadistic idea of fun. Well, play time is over Tom. She’s faced you alone for the last time. I’ll make sure of that.
Precious moments ticked by, as determination turned to regret. What was I thinking? He lamented. I never should have stormed off to bed when I was so riled. By now he was mentally kicking himself. Why didn’t I listen to Ginny? She knew I was too intense to sleep. If I wasn’t such an idiot, I would have stayed with her. We could have stayed together until we were both too sleepy to speak. Surely, we could have found some way to fill the time, he thought as a rebellious image crept back into his mind.
Ginny’s long, fiery hair was flowing about her shoulders and she was biting her lower lip in concentration. Those lips, he moaned with longing. For all his efforts, the only thing he’d managed to accomplish was to conjure a vision that made him anything but sleepy.
“This isn’t working!” he grumbled in aggravation as he wracked his brain for ideas. I need to clear my mind, he thought, trying his hand at one of his Occlumency relaxation techniques. Seconds later, though, he knew it was futile as his mutinous thoughts slid back to Ginny.
Pangs of guilt struck as their encounter in the hallway was embellished in new and enticing ways. The harder he fought to erase her form from his mind, the more vivid the image seemed to become. Finally, he simply quit fighting and let the images overtake him.
In an instant he was back in the hallway and standing before her. In reality it had taken every ounce of his self-control to resist moving his lips over hers and pulling her into his arms. Now, in his fantasy, there was no reason for restraint.
With fluid ease the hallway around them morphed into a scene in his room. He found himself lying in bed, watching as she slowly moved to join him. He imagined the feel her skin under his touch as his body tingled with a renewed primal heat. Closer she moved, until they met in a warm, welcoming kiss, awakening the beast within him in almost painful ways.
I’ve got to snap out of it. Harry, shook his head, fisted his bedding in his hands and fought down the growing need within him. “Stupid!” he growled in frustration. His brief visit into the world of fantasy had only served to make his lot worse.
“Why?” he gasped shaking his head, but deep down he felt he knew the answer. Ginny is special. She’s the only friend I have that knows what it’s like to have Voldemort inside her head. She understands what I’ve been through, and amazingly, she still wants to know me. It’s more than that, though. It’s like she’s captivated me without even trying, claimed a part of me that Cho never knew. Suddenly, he found himself wishing she’d claimed of bit more. The thought of her touch caused a stirring in him like he’d never known. His heart pounded wildly and a warm flush crept over his face.
Do I fancy Ginny Weasley? Is that even allowed? He wondered nervously, picturing a virtual horde of brothers, surrounding her. I fancied Cho, but that was nothing like this.
Harry recalled how forced everything had felt with Cho Chang. We both tried to make something develop that just wasn’t there. With Ginny it’s different, easy, but why now? We’ve spent loads of time together at the Burrow and at Hogwarts. Of course, there were always plenty of people around. This is the first time we’ve been completely alone; alone enough for me to appreciate the person she is and get a glimpse at the woman she’s becoming.
Harry had seen a new playful, yet alluring side of her that he found utterly intriguing. Add to that her strong independence and her blind trust in him and the result was an unsettling, but empowering combination. The fact that she remained totally unaware of her charms only made her more irresistible. Harry had never wanted to be ‘the hero’ before, but tonight he did. She needed him. He could feel it in her body’s reaction to his touch. Even in her dreams, she had reached out to him. He needed to make her safe, wanted to make her happy again. Just a few short steps down the hall and I could be with her, a small voice taunted in his head as the temptation grew at an alarming rate. Her soft skin, the blush of her cheeks, the fullness of her lips, his imagination was killing him. His eyes flew open and he struggled for control.
What is the matter with me? He berated himself. Ginny is being tortured in her dreams every night, but instead of going in to help her, I’m lying here wondering what her skin would feel like against mine!
Harry squeezed his eyes shut tightly; pressing his palms firmly against them as if the action would clear the thoughts from his mind. With a sigh of resolution he rose, throwing the covers aside in his wake. In one smooth motion, he grabbed a robe and crossed the room to his door. He needed to find some way to release his tension or he’d be of no use to her tonight.
Quietly, he peered out into the hallway. No Fred and George. Still off doing business, Harry assumed in relief. Good, I really don’t want to try to explain this to them tonight. I don’t even know what I’d be explaining. Ginny didn’t want them to know about her dreams, not yet anyway. He wasn’t going to betray her trust. As for rest, he wasn’t about to confide in Fred and George about his new feelings for their sister either. Even if they had been blokes he could talk to, it was useless. She ended her crush ages ago and moved on, right? …but what if she hadn’t? He argued, as he considered her possible reactions to him loving her in his mind. Would she be happy or throttle him with a vicious, but legendary bat-bogey hex.
Chapter 9: Chapter 9: More Than A Dream
Chapter 9 More Than A DreamGinny lay bound to the stone altar of her nightmares sobbing, her spirit nearly broken. There was no denying it. In desperation she’d cried out and revealed Harry’s intentions to Riddle.
Horrified by her own betrayal, she tried to forewarn Harry. Her efforts proved futile. A strange tightening gripped her throat. It sucked the air from her lungs, rendering her screams completely useless. Riddle sneered as her words were swallowed up, her voice completely absorbed in a deafening vacuum of silence.
Breathe Ginny, she thought. You have to breathe. She felt faint. Her thoughts grew fuzzy. Her lungs burned with need as her suffocating body tingled with the sensation of a million tiny needles prickling her skin.
Suddenly, the pressure lifted and she gasped, rapidly refilling her lungs. Riddle had made his point clear. She had no choice but to abandon her efforts. Harry would be there any second. She could feel his presence drawing nearer. There was no way to warn him, except one. With tears streaking her cheeks, she began reaching out in her mind. Go back, Harry! He knows! He knows you’re coming!
Riddle loomed over her helpless, trembling body. He studied her wild eyes and frantic expression. Whispering, he leaned in close. “Ginny, Ginny, Ginny…No fair telling. Now, where’s the fun in that?” he asked. Then louder, his voice heavily laden with sarcasm, “I’m afraid that was very naughty.” Ginny watched his eyes narrow. She braced herself for retribution, but instead his expression smoothed into one of amusement. “Not to worry, my feisty little blood traitor. It just so happens, I have a bit of a soft spot for ‘naughty’ little girls.”
Riddle stared fixedly into Ginny’s eyes. A sickening smirk spread across his face, “I do believe our guest of honor has arrived.” He paused again, allowing the meaning of his words to settle in her mind. “Let’s give Mr. Potter a proper welcome, shall we? Perhaps a little ‘performance’ of sorts is in order.” With that, he released her binds. She was struggling to sit up when he raised his wand again, “Imperio!”
Her eyes went glassy, her expression vacant. Vaguely, she could hear someone’s voice whispering inside her head. “Wrap your arms around me. Make me feel your body burning for me. Kiss me as if your life depended on it! Do it now!”
Strange, she thought. Ginny could feel the strong sensation of her body and mind fighting over the confusing orders, but somehow she was totally calm. It was an odd, pleasant sort of feeling. When she came ‘round from her daze, she found herself clinging desperately to a smug looking Riddle with her hands roughly tangled in his dark hair. Their lips were only a hair’s breadth apart as if she’d just given him a mind-numbing kiss.
Riddle grinned with pleasure as his tongue darted out to touch her lips once more. “Yeeessss,” he hissed, caught up in the heat of her temporarily willing body. “I knew there was more to you than meets the eye. This may work out better than I imagined,” he said, his fiery eyes filled with selfish want.
Ginny recoiled, repulsed at his tongue touching her lips. As she attempted to wipe him from her skin, it hit her. She was free. Without hesitation, she threw herself to the floor, narrowly evading Tom’s grasp as he reached for her. When she hit the cold stone, she heard a horrible crack and a renewed jolt of pain shot like a knife through her arm. She was certain it was broken. She winced, clutching her useless arm to her side. It doesn’t matter! She told her self, ignoring the pain. For the first time since her nightmares had begun, she was free of her bonds.
From across the chamber, Harry watched in silent horror as the events played out before him. He’s controlling her! He has to be! His gut clenched at the thought. It’s the only possibly explanation. She would never kiss Riddle like that willingly. What other things did he make her do under the Imperious Curse? Harry pushed the repugnant possibilities from his mind. He needed to focus on the here and now.
Quietly, he advanced until he was standing mere feet away. Prepared to attack, Harry reached up to pull off the invisibility cloak. Instead of surprising Riddle, however, Harry was the one caught off guard. At the last possible second, Riddle launched an unexpected and powerful banishing curse at him, blasting him back against the far wall. Riddle’s mirthless laugh echoed through the chamber as Harry fell to the floor with a sickening thud.
“It’s not polite to attend a party uninvited, Mr. Potter. Didn’t your mother teach you that?” Riddle admonished with a vengeful gleam in his eye. “Oh that’s right, how silly of me,” he simpered. “She snuffed it before she had the chance to teach you anything at all. Pity, you know. She may have proved useful, even if she was a mudblood,” he added for good measure. “No matter, school is in session now Potter. Perhaps that little lesson will help you learn some manners!”
Ginny cringed and gasped at the sound of Harry’s body crashing then sliding down the wall into a heap on the floor. Tears stung her eyes as the cloak slipped from his legs. He’s not moving! An intense surge of adrenaline all but erased the pain in her arm as she scrambled to her feet and ran. She threw herself to the floor at his side and carefully pulled the cloak away to check his motionless body. Relief filled her as he moaned. He’s still alive! With renewed hope she snatched his wand from the floor beside him and thrust it back into his hand.
Groggy and bleary-eyed, Harry gazed up at her. “Gin… Ginny? Wha…What happened?” he stuttered faintly.
She didn’t answer; instead she gripped her throat and shook her head desperately. He rubbed his eyes, blinking and tried to steady himself. The room seemed to spin and her face slid out of focus. Tightly he squeezed his eyes shut against the swirl of images and the pain in his body. Memories flooded back to him: the dream, the Chamber, Riddle... He reopened his eyes and the realization struck home. Riddle’s done something to her. He’s hurt her so badly, she can’t even speak.
Riddle circled like a shark to the feed as Harry and Ginny huddled together on the floor. Tiring of waiting for his prey to react, he opted for a psychological attack. “You know Potter, Miss Weasley and I had rather ‘private plans’ in the works for this evening. I’m afraid that you’ve ruined the mood. I don’t think I can allow your intrusion to go unchecked.”
Riddle glared contemptuously at Harry. He did not need his wand to inflict pain as he made eye contact and drove himself into Harry’s mind. In his weakened state, Harry was unable block the intense neurological intrusion in time.
He swore as the prickling in his scar morphed into an explosion of searing pain. Tears formed in the creases of his eyes and a wave of nausea threatened to overtake him.
Ginny felt helpless as she pulled him against her body. She shook with fear and silent tears trailed down her cheeks. Harry, I’m so sorry! I never should have brought you into this, she thought filled with fear and remorse. Please, you have to be okay. Hopeless, she began to smooth his throbbing forehead as she rocked him in her arms. Harry, please; I can’t do this alone.
Just as she was giving up, her closeness began to recharge him. It refocused his thoughts and strength trickled into his limbs. With new determination, Harry concentrated on building a barrier against Riddle in his mind. She needs me, he thought. I can’t let him hurt her.
Drawing from his feelings for Ginny and her presence, Harry evicted the dark wizard from his mind. As Voldemort was forced out, the pain in his scar eased. He regained enough control to pull away from Ginny, point his wand at her throat and lift the silencing charm that engulfed her. The second her voice was restored she grabbed Harry’s wand and yelled, “Enervate!” Her quick thinking rejuvenated him. He took back his wand and rose to his feet.
It was as if the volume in the room had just been turned up. Ginny’s voice restored, Harry now heard her crying out to him. “I’m so sorry Harry! It’s my fault! I was weak! I…I failed you!” She was sobbing, but there was no time to calm her. Instead, he moved to position himself in front of her crumpled form, shielding her with his body.
Riddle laughed and clapped his hands sarcastically, “Oh, bravo. What a touching performance. She’s quite the little actress isn’t she? After all, you saw her a moment ago didn’t you Potter? She’s simply aching for me to make her a woman,” he smirked casting his gaze quickly to Ginny and back. “I’d wager that I could show her pleasures like no other can.” Riddle watched with satisfaction as Harry’s anger swelled. Amused at the results, he chose to up the ante, “I do have to admit, I don’t blame you one bit for coming after her, Potter. She’s one hell of a shag.”
Harry’s blood boiled as he grappled with thoughts that his worst fears were true. Riddle raped her under the Imperious Curse! Harry tried to remind himself that it was still a dream. It wasn’t really Ginny’s body he had, but that private invasion of her still maddened him. If it was possible to destroy a person’s subconscious, Harry would find a way to obliterate Riddle’s! He’d annihilate him and his little dream portal!
Then he heard Ginny’s voice ringing through his head. “It’s not true Harry! It never happened! I swear! That was his plan tonight, but I made him angry and he stopped! Please Harry, you have to believe me! He’s only saying it to get to you! Don’t let him!” Ginny was gasping as she struggled to her feet, pushing off with her good arm.
“Ginny! Stay behind me!” Harry yelled as he flung one arm out to hold her back. Slowly he moved forward, wand raised, watching and waiting for his moment. If Riddle wants a war, he’ll have it.
Harry was older, better trained, and more experienced than the last time he faced Voldemort’s teen-aged personification. The next time Riddle threw a curse at him, he was ready. He deflected it to a nearby statue which exploded into shards of stone. Immediately, Harry threw a curse of his own and they began to duel. His confidence seemed to cause Riddle to falter a bit as he backed away slightly.
Curses ricocheted in all directions. Harry found it miraculous that Ginny wasn’t hit in the crossfire as he continued to advance on Riddle, pushing him back. When he was level with the bizarre mirror that hung on the wall, Harry began to work a plan in his mind. That’s it, just a bit further. I’ve got to force Riddle through, then destroy the portal.
Harry held his wand tightly as it vibrated with unbelievable energy. An endless volley of hexes raged between them until something went terribly wrong. In a cruel twist of fate, Riddle and Harry threw the same curse at precisely the same moment. The two curses were fused upon impact and white-hot liquid dripped from the vertex. Riddle’s eyes shot open wide in response and Harry’s body shook with the jarring force.
Harry gripped his wand with both hands to control it as Riddle struggled with his. Slowly they each moved forward, curses literally melting between them. It took immense concentration to maintain the connection.
Harry and Riddle squared off, mere meters apart. Harry was unfaltering, focused, centered. They were now positioned directly in front of the portal. The hazy blue glow radiating from the rippling surface cast an eerie glow upon their faces. Ginny stood by, wandless, searching her mind for ways to distract Riddle and weaken his focus.
Harry’s anger and his need to protect Ginny sent power pouring from every cell of his body. Remembering the unearthly advantages afforded him in the dream world, he began using his mind to blow Riddle off his feet. Harry steadily closed the distance between them until only centimeters separated their wand tips. The unexpected surge from Harry, coupled with the resonating pressure from the fusion of wands, sent Riddle reeling. In his shock, he overcompensated and lost his balance. Attempting to regain his footing, his wand lifted and broke their connection.
Ginny looked on speechless at the scene unfolding before her. Everything happened in a matter of seconds, but time felt strangely frozen. Harry had such incredible powers inside of him. It was almost frightening. Part of her knew that after that moment, Harry would never be the same. He had come to help her, save her. Now, Riddle was falling through the portal, in a moment she’d be free.
She moved closer to reach out to Harry when suddenly Riddle reached him first. He grabbed Harry by the arm and in the next second, they were gone. Riddle had fallen through the portal and pulled Harry in with him!
“Noooo! Oh Harry, NO!” she screamed. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. She was in a state of shock and panic! Seconds ticked by and Harry did not return. “Oh, please NO!”
Ginny took off at a sprint for the chamber door. She tore through the passages until she came to a door with light glowing beneath it. She grabbed the knob and wrenched it open. As the light hit her eyes…
Ginny gasped as though emerging from underwater and sat bolt upright in her chair. She was panting, sweaty and aching all over. Tears stung her eyes as she jumped up from her chair, screaming her dismay. As she ran into the hall, Fred and George appeared from their room.
“Ginny! What’s going on? What’s the matter? Did you have a nightmare or something?” Fred asked, trying to make sense of her ranting.
Ginny ran at her twin brothers screaming Harry’s name. Instead of throwing herself at them, she shoved them out of her way, knocking Fred painfully against the wall.
“Bloody hell, Ginny!” Fred yelled after her. The twins exchanged looks of shock then ran off after their sister.
Ginny reached Harry’s door and flung it open. Once inside, she practically dove onto his bed, grabbing him by the shoulders. She shook him desperately hard as she straddled him, crying out his name.
By all rights, he should have jumped right out of his skin from the rude awakening he was receiving, but Harry didn’t move. He looked dead as his head bobbed back and forth with the rhythm of her shaking.
Fred and George, who had followed their little sister at a run, were now trying to pry her away from Harry. “Is he dead? What the hell is going on, Ginny? Have you gone completely mental?!” She didn’t stop to explain, but instead fought them off and protectively clung to Harry.
She was absolutely hysterical. George shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head toward Ginny while looking at his twin as if to ask “What the hell do we do now?” For lack of a better idea, Fred slapped her across the face, bringing her back to reality.
George grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him as he crouched on the floor next to Harry’s bed. “Ginny? Calm down! You have to tell us what’s happened!”
Her shoulders fell and she slowly brushed Harry’s cheek with her trembling hand. The life had gone out of her. She slid from his seemingly lifeless body and collapsed into George’s arms in desperate sobs. She clung to her brother as if she was drowning and he was her only lifeline. George pulled her to him and wrapped his arms tightly around her as she buried her face in his chest. All she could manage to say was “Riddle…Riddle…took Harry!”
Over the top of Ginny’s small form the twins looked at each other in utter shock and disbelief. Their eyes darted from Ginny to Harry’s form on the bed. Something was very, very wrong. He had been completely unaffected by her attempts to wake him. Whatever was happening, it was much more than a dream. They were sure of it. It was a nightmare; a nightmare they feared that had just come to life.
Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Breaching the Threshold
Chapter 10 Breaching the ThresholdEverything changed in an instant as they plunged head first into the portal. Only seconds before, Harry was in control. He should have brought the curtain crashing down upon Riddle’s twisted play of torture, but the scene went terribly wrong. Instead of cutting the dark wizard from Ginny’s dreams, Harry was center stage in a whole new act and Tom Riddle was directing the script.
The next few moments added all the elements of a classic nightmare: darkness, uncertainty, and a brutalizing chill that cut straight to the bone.
When he broke the surface, Harry expected to pass straight through the portal. Instead, he seemed caught. Harry struggled to make sense of his bizarre new surroundings as his world became oddly muted. The sound of his pulse throbbed wildly within a cocoon of silence. Every nerve in Harry’s body erupted and a barrage of painful sensations inundated his brain. Thousands of tiny icicles seemed to bore into every inch of his exposed flesh as he spiraled downward at breakneck speed. It was like traveling by portkey but much more painful.
He was pulled, not by Riddle, whose grip Harry still felt vaguely on his arm, but by some unknown force. It wrenched them at top speed toward a fathoms-deep, watery pit of darkness. As they dove, thick, icy plasma engulfed him. Harry’s body shook uncontrollably and his chest tightened painfully making it impossible to breathe. It was extreme, a cold so intense that it burned as it soaked through his clothing to sear his skin beneath. Precious seconds ticked by without oxygen. His vision blurred and he grew light-headed, racing through the column of ooze.
It’s only a dream; he tried to reason through his haze of thoughts. It isn’t real.
That was little comfort to his oxygen-starved brain and burning lungs. Harry was gradually losing consciousness. Just as the last of his will was fading, he emerged from the darkness. As they breached the threshold of the mirror, Riddle’s hold on Harry was broken. Tumbling out of the portal into another chamber, they hit the cold, stone floor with a shuddering thud.
Battered and frozen, Harry’s stiff and achy body lay motionless. He managed a gasp, sending his lungs a much-needed burst of air. Icy pain was suddenly replaced by comforting warmth that radiated from his laboring heart. It fingered outward like a web, encompassing his entire body within its boundaries. Harry peered down to find steam billowing from him in wispy spirals of mist. His clothes dried before his eyes as strength replaced agony. His recovery was so complete; it was as though none of it had taken place.
It is only a dream, Harry reminded himself, or is it? He wondered. The dream world and his reality seemed fused into one. Is this how Ginny has felt all this time? Living a dream, she was unable to escape?
Harry’s thoughts were interrupted as his opponent came into focus. Riddle was struggling to regain his footing as a familiar mist of vapor encircled him.
Is it a dream or reality? That’s irrelevant now, Harry chastised himself, rising quickly to his feet, wand in hand. He prepared to face off with Riddle, who was regarding Harry with amused silence and a wicked grin of satisfaction.
He’s waiting for my reaction, toying with me, Harry thought in contempt as he tightened his grip on his wand and fixed what he hoped was a detached expression upon his face.
“What? No fight left in you, Potter?” Riddle prodded.
Harry glared in response. In no hurry to entertain Riddle, he forced himself to remain calm and scanned his surroundings for details.
If Harry didn’t know better, he’d think they’d just entered the lounge of a very wealthy, dark wizard. Torches and candles dimly lit the expansive room. Several amber colored stone pillars flanked mahogany paneled walls. The floor was inlaid with rich looking marble, bordered in mosaic tiles. From the far wall, a flicker of light emanated from an oversized ornate fireplace. Over the mantle hung the life-sized portrait of a menacing wizard who seemed to regard Harry’s presence with a scowl of distaste. The walls and floors were embellished with colorful tapestries and oriental rugs. A large sofa near the hearth, a variety of leather chairs, and an assortment of odd objects upon side tables made up the bulk of the chamber’s furnishings. A single, intricately carved, wooden door was visible at the far end of the chamber to Harry’s right. It arched like the one that led to Ginny’s chamber above and had a large handle in the shape of a serpent in place of a knob.
Harry discreetly eyed the door, considering his options. Where does it lead? He wondered. Is that the way out or just a trap put there to taunt me? Harry settled on the latter. Then, as if lightening struck, if I entered through the portal, maybe I can use it to get out.
Riddle scrutinized him with bemused interest as Harry moved into position to have a clear view. The hazy blue glow still radiated from the object, making Harry’s decision instantaneous. Taking three quick strides, he attempted his escape. As he reached out, the cobalt light flickered and vanished. The rippling waves slowed their movement and then stopped. The portal was suddenly masked behind a smooth piece of glass. Harry’s reflection seemed to mock him as he stared at the mirrored surface in disbelief. In momentary denial, he ran his hand over the glass. The once fluid surface now felt solid and cool to the touch. His door to freedom was closed. Harry was trapped inside his very own nightmare with no visible means of escape.
Has this been Riddle’s plan all along? Harry wondered. Did he use Ginny to lure me here?
Behind him mirthless laugher erupted from the silence. Harry whipped around to face Riddle, who spoke with sarcasm dripping from every word. “Nice try, Potter. It’s too bad, really. You were just one second too late. It looks like little Ginny decided to wake up.”
Harry narrowed his eyes but refused to speak.
“Oh, come now, Potter. I was sure you would have figured it out. My dream portal is only open while she sleeps. I must say, I’m rather disappointed to have missed seeing her expression when you came through with me,” he smirked. “I imagine that would have been most entertaining.”
“Shut up!” Harry spat even as he tried to calm himself. He needed a clear head. Anger would only distract him and Harry had no intentions of giving Riddle more of an edge.
“I don’t think you have learned your place yet, have you, Potter? Perhaps you need another lesson,” he sneered. “You seem to be under the impression that you have some control over what I say and do, you pathetic…weak… disappointing little boy. You’re just like your parents.”
Harry forced himself to ignore the words. Ginny is safe, Harry thought to himself. She’s awake and free of the chamber and that’s what matters at the moment. He took comfort in that assurance as he returned to surveying the room. There must be something useful here. Something that can give me the upper hand, he thought as he scanned for signs of anything that could help. I need more time.
“Your parents were weak too...always talking of love’s power,” Riddle’s face contorted grotesquely at the words as he began to advance. “A pity their love didn’t save them when I paid them a call.”
“It saved me though, didn’t it? It saved me and destroyed you!” Harry snapped unable to hold back any longer.
“Hardly, Potter,” he drawled. “It was merely a temporary set back. I assure you, I’m far from destroyed.”
“You may have managed to survive that night, to exist in some way, but for how long?” Harry asked steeling himself for any movement from Riddle. “You’re afraid and you should be. You’re afraid because you are right! I am just like my parents and it’s only a matter of time before I finish you, isn’t it?”
“You have delusions of grandeur, Mr. Potter,” Riddle retorted wearily with a sigh. “Your parents were failures and I expect no more from you.”
“If I were you, I’d be thinking of your own disappointing failure. Your plans to have Ginny didn’t exactly go as you thought. From where I’m sitting, I’d say this 'pathetic…weak…disappointing little boy' had something to do with that, wouldn’t you?”
That stopped Riddle in his tracks, seething anger filled his features. “You’ll regret your interference, Potter.”
“Will I? I suppose that remains to be seen, doesn’t it? After all, I accomplished what I set out to do tonight. Did you?” he mocked. Riddle’s silence felt like a small victory for Harry in their game of cat and mouse. “What is this place anyway?” he added trying to vie for more time.
Riddle glared momentarily and then rejoined the game. With exaggerated manners he addressed Harry as an invited guest. “Welcome to my home,” he said raising his arms to gesture about the room. “The Dark arts provide well for me as you can see, even in my dreams. As for your brief triumph as Miss Weasley’s hero, well, there’s always tomorrow night. The girl will have to sleep, eventually. The next time she dreams, her beloved knight in shining armor won’t be there to interrupt, will he, Potter? I’ll have plenty of time for entertaining her then.”
Riddle relished the anger pulsating from Harry and decided to have some fun. “I assure you, Mr. Potter. Tonight wasn’t an entire loss. I’ve got you, haven’t I? This turn of events is definitely an unexpected bonus. You should know. Things on this side of the portal are a bit different.”
“What’s that supposed to mean,” Harry asked entertaining his foe.
“My power is, shall we say, further reaching from this vantage point. I believe I’ll let you stew on that for awhile,” he ended with a confident smirk.
Games aside, the truth about Ginny was undeniable. She was still in very real danger.
Harry’s heart leapt to his throat. Fear and rage melded together as he imagined what Riddle would do to her now. Harry’s emotions blazed within him until he reached a level of fury that he rarely felt. With feelings this strong, in the past he’d found he could perform wandless magic. Unfortunately, the intensity of his feelings usually caused the magic to be beyond his command.
Stay in control, Harry thought. You can’t help her if you don’t. Now think. Keep him talking, just little a while longer. Burying his urge to attack, he baited Riddle to continue, “Too bad…”
After a few seconds pause, Riddle looked back curiously, “Too bad what, Potter? Too upset to make sense, are we?”
“Too bad that the only way you’ll ever have her is through the Imperious Curse. I can’t imagine it would be very good like that. She’ll never give herself to you willingly. You make her flesh crawl, Tom!” Harry finished with a look of disgust.
Riddle’s anger rose at the sound of his given name. Harry knew he hated his muggle father enough to murder him. The thought of being his namesake disgusted him, but Riddle quickly regained his composure.
“Her willingness is not really an issue for me. I like a fighter, Potter,” he hissed with a look of hunger at the thought. “You really should try it sometime. It’s quite intense,” he leered causing Harry’s stomach to turn. “Besides, what makes you think she won’t give in to me if she thinks it will save you?”
“You’re insane! She’ll never…” Harry began enraged, but Riddle interrupted.
“While I appreciate you concern for my pleasure, when would you have discovered how it would be good? Innocent, righteous Potter; always the gentleman, aren’t you? I do so love irony.”
“What are you on about now?” Harry spat.
“I just find it rather ironic that you’re the one she wants, but she’s going to give herself to me to buy your freedom,” Riddle paused gloating, as shock played over Harry’s face. “You do realize you could have bedded her long ago?” Riddle paused as Harry glared, speechless.
“No? Oh well, your stupidity has left her pristine for me. I owe you my thanks. Although she’s not very useful in the information department, she’s not a total loss. I’m rather looking forward to training her up a bit,” he said with a sly wink as if he was talking to a good friend.
That was it. “SHUT UP! If you say one more word about her, I’ll make you regret it!” Harry shot back.
“Oh…I
Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Out of Time
Chapter 11 Out of TimeHarry was gone. His body lived on, but his mind seemed trapped between two planes of consciousness.
Resignation and guilt weighed heavily upon Ginny. I never should have told him, she thought. I should have found a way to help myself. Then he'd be safe right now instead of locked away in his mind with Tom Riddle.
She felt helpless. Her only comforts were her brothers. They had come to her aid as she raced to Harry's side. George held her close while Fred cast charm after enervation charm in futility. Despite all efforts to revive him, Harry remained completely unresponsive.
How could this happen, Fred wondered as he stood over Harry's lifeless body in shock. Only hours ago we were playing Quidditch, discussing business deals and joking about Mad-Eye Moody's attitude. How did we get from there… to here?
Realizing the irrelevance, Fred moved closer and placed his hand on Harry's chest. He was grateful to feel its reassuring rise and fall and the constant beating of his heart. With a sigh of relief, he nodded to his twin.
As if on cue, George held Ginny at arms length, searching her eyes for answers. "Ginny, please," he began gently, "you need to explain what happened."
Slowly her tear-filled eyes met his, "Riddle has…has taken Harry…and it's entirely my fault. He was trying to help me," Ginny shuddered as she retold the tale of her nightmares and how Harry had been drawn into her dreams. "We've got to get him back," she pleaded quietly, her lower lip trembling. "Please, we've got to help him."
All her life, her older brothers had looked out for her. Through the mishaps and joys of childhood each one had served as her protector, her champion, her hero. Now, in her greatest hour of need, the twins were powerless. There was nothing they could do for Harry and that realization caused an ache in the pit of her stomach.
She pulled from her brother's grasp and crawled to Harry's bedside. Desperately she clung to Harry's limp hand.
"We need help," George said seriously as he looked from Harry to his twin.
With a nod from Fred, George strode briskly from the room to sound the alarm. The door clicked closed, Fred knelt beside Ginny and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He felt as helpless as she did. All they could do was watch and wait as Harry's mind fought an invisible foe.
Word spread quickly to the Order. Within minutes, wizards from all walks of life descended upon Grimmauld Place, whipping headquarters into a frenzy of activity.
*****************
Two young wizards, however, did not hear the call. When the alert went out, Ron was at the home of the Grangers collecting Hermione for their visit with Harry.
Ron helped Hermione bring her bags down from her room. They were to Portkey from her home to the Burrow, spend the night and set off for Grimmauld Place in the morning. Professor Dumbledore had charmed an old pocket watch for the occasion.
After bidding farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, they descended the front porch stairs and crossed the lawn. A small wooded area bordered the Granger's property and was to serve as their point of departure. Before Ron could retrieve the watch from his pocket, Harry's snowy owl arrived with urgent post.
"Hedwig? What are you …" Hermione stopped as the owl swooped and hooted wildly about their heads.
After several erratic passes she lit upon Ron, gripping his shoulder severely. Without a doubt, she was not herself. Hedwig was an exemplary owl. At the moment, however, her usual air of propriety and decorum had all but vanished. She seemed, in short, panicked.
Ron and Hermione exchanged looks of dismay. Hedwig held out a trembling leg as Hermione untied the note with trepidation and handed it to Ron. As soon as he took it, Hedwig began viciously pecking his head, urging him to hurry. He struggled to unroll the parchment as he waved her off with his free arm.
"Bloody hell, Hedwig! What's gotten into you?" Ron cursed and ducked, dodging her attack as he read the note silently. Hermione waited as he finished and then physically paled before her eyes.
"What is it?" Hermione's voice filled with alarm as she looked from the retreating owl to Ron's ashen face.
"It's Harry," he answered in a barely audible voice.
"What?" she asked again.
"It's Harry, Hermione. Riddle's taken him," he responded more loudly as his shock turned to anger. "We've got to get to headquarters!"
Hermione snatched the parchment from Ron's hand to read it.
Ron,
Plans have changed. Something horrible has happened. We think Harry has been kidnapped by Voldemort. The details are unclear at this point.
Sorry, mate, but Mum's in a right state. She wants you to stay at the Grangers'. Don't try to use the Portkey because no one will be at the Burrow. They're sending an Order escort to bring you directly to headquarters.
I'll make sure they send for you soon, I promise.
Fred
Hermione was beside herself with worry. "What are we going to do?"
"How can they expect us to just sit here doing nothing and wait for a bloody escort?" Ron spat, pacing back and forth.
"What choice do we have? We're not supposed to use the Portkey. Even if we did, it wouldn't take us where we need to be," she reminded, trying to reason with him. "Maybe we should…"
"Just stop! I need to think, Hermione," he snapped, then immediately regretted it. She was upset and his words stung. He stopped pacing, met her eyes and found tears forming. He sighed and dropped his head, "Look, I'm sorry. I don't mean to yell at you, but I'm not going to hang about while I could be helping get Harry back. I just can't do that, Hermione."
"I know, Ron. You're upset and so am I, but we don't want to make a decision that could make things worse," she responded her voice softer and more subdued in hopes of calming him.
Ron sighed deeply and glared in response. It took all his restraint to refrain from snapping back at her blatantly, rational behavior. Instead, he focused his anger elsewhere. He continued to pace and mumble to himself about the "ruddy Order's procedures", then quite suddenly, he stopped.
"Ron?" she began nervously, "What's wrong?"
He turned to face Hermione, wild-eyed, "I've got it!"
"What is it?" she asked, but after observing the look on his face, she was unsure if she really wanted to know.
"Well, I haven't passed my apparition test, but you have! Do you remember how Harry told us about side along apparition?" he asked, eyes blazing
"Yes, but…I've never done it, Ron." she added uncertainly. "What if I make a mistake? We could…"
"I know you can do it, Hermione," he interrupted. "I'm not waiting for a bleeding guard to get around to fetching us! We have to go now!"
Hermione paused, searching his eyes. There would be no talking him out of it. Reluctantly, she nodded in agreement and then placed a trembling hand to Ron's arm. As she gripped it firmly, a flash of fire erupted overhead. Above them they spotted a piece of smoking, red parchment fluttering down from the talons of large crimson bird. Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, circled the pair once and then vanished with another flash of brilliant flames.
There was barely time to react. The Howler burst open in mid air and Mrs. Weasley's booming voice filled the night.
"RONALD WEASLEY! WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE THE GRANGERS' HOME… OF ALL THE IRRESPONSIBLE CHOICES!! YOU WILL WAIT RIGHT THERE UNTIL SOMEONE COMES TO FETCH YOU! YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT OTHER TROUBLE IS BREWING AND I'M SIMPLY DISGUSTED THAT YOU WOULD PLACE HERMIONE IN THAT SORT OF DANGER AS WELL AS DISOBEY A DIRECT ORDER! IF YOU DARE TAKE ONE STEP OFF THAT PROPERTY, I'LL HEX YOU MYSELF!!
Oh and Hermione, dear, please give your parents my fondest regards."
With that, the parchment disintegrated into tiny fragments of ash and was carried away by the wind.
The message left nothing to interpretation. A heavy silence fell over Ron and Hermione. It was as if they were frozen to the spot. Hermione still clutched his arm as they recovered from shock.
"H…how did she know?" Hermione asked, shakily.
Ron bristled at his mother's condescending tone, "I don't know, probably Dumbledore! He's seems to see everything somehow, but I don't care! What does she think she's playing at, telling us to stay put! It's as if she doesn't think we can handle ourselves!" he growled indignantly. "After everything we've been through, she doesn't even think we can manage to get ourselves to headquarters!"
"Ron, keep your voice down," Hermione whispered as she glanced at the front door of her home and then scanned the neighboring landscape. If anyone had been in the vicinity they would have heard the Howler's rage. Her closest neighbor lived more than a mile away, but that was little consolation at the moment. The porch light had come on and her parents were outside. They obviously heard the racket and emerged from their home to investigate.
Hermione shot Ron a grave look of warning as she followed the progress of her parents into the front garden. Confusion filled their expressions.
"Hermione?" her mother called from twenty paces away. "What was that? We thought we heard yelling."
Mr. and Mrs. Granger were kind people and loving parents. They may have been somewhat naïve when it came to the magical world in which their daughter spent most of her time, but they were far from daft. It was clear to them that something was amiss and they intended to find out what.
"Er...nothing really, just a message," Hermione mumbled vying for time.
"A message?" her mother repeated in disbelief. "What kind of message?"
"Ron's mother wanted to let us know that someone is going to pick us up. She asked us not to use the Portkey," Hermione said, attempting to smooth over the situation without giving any actual details. "Sorry if it bothered you. It was a bit loud," she added observing their lack of confidence in her explanation.
If they suspected real danger, her chances of going with Ron would quickly disappear. She couldn't stand the thought of being left behind when Harry needed them. "Er…Mrs. Weasley sends her regards, by the way," she added trying to keep the conversation light. For good measure, she forced a smile. That's not a total fabrication, she thought hoping it would be enough of an explanation.
"Hermione," Ron whispered gruffly, "we've got to go."
"Not now, Ron, my parents won't understand," she muttered under her breath.
"We're coming back inside to wait for our friends," Hermione said, fixing a smile in place and glaring in Ron's direction. Her look of admonishment was enough to stifle his rampage temporarily. He didn't want to alarm the Grangers any more than the howler already had.
In strained silence, Ron trailed Hermione into the lounge. Avoiding eye contact with the Grangers, he sat down on the couch to wait. He wasn't sure why he felt guilty, but for some reason he did. Sitting in their home made his stomach squirm and his heart pound. The feeling was similar to the tension before a well-earned detention with Snape.
Mr. Granger had always been quite friendly to Ron and Harry, but at the moment pleasantries were not forthcoming. The flush rose steadily in his cheeks under the suspicious gaze of Hermione's father. Ron felt like he'd just kept Mr. Granger's little girl out past curfew and was awaiting retribution.
Where, the hell, are they, he wondered as he glanced nervously at the door. This is just beautiful, Ron thought as he snuck another glance at Hermione's parents. He got the distinct impression that the Granger's were unconvinced by Hermione's story. I'll just sit here quietly and let Hermione do the talking. They're her parents after all; he thought, focusing intently on his hands resting in his lap.
"So Ron, who will be coming to escort you," Mrs. Granger began conversationally, visibly startling Ron out of his reverie.
"Er…no idea," he answered lamely, which garnered a subtle kick from Hermione as she reached for the tea her mother offered them both.
"What I meant to say…um, thank you," he added taking the cup from Mrs. Granger, "is Mum said she was sending a family friend, but didn't mention who."
"Ah…I see," Mrs. Granger nodded, sipping her tea and glancing at her husband over her cup to gage his reaction.
When she returned her attention to the pair on the couch, Mr. Granger took up the cause.
"Why can't you take the Portkey as planned, Hermione?"
"I don't know. It was something about a batch of dodgy Portkeys. Apparently, they've found several quite recently. Right, Ron?" she asked in search of support.
"Er…yeah," he added feebly.
"Yes, well, they felt it would be prudent not to risk it," Hermione embellished to keep Ron from speaking more than necessary. "It's the return trips that have been a bit unpredictable. So even though Ron successfully arrived, they aren't sure of where we'd end up round trip."
How can she fabricate a story like that on the spot? Ron thought. Harry and I have obviously been a horrible influence on her. Good thing we have.
Ron swallowed hard, hoping her tale would be sufficient and resumed the careful inspection of his hands.
Maybe they won't ask me anything else, he hoped. I'm rubbish at concocting lies in the heat of the moment. Where are the bloody twins when you need them? Oh…that's right, they're at headquarters…gits.
*********************
Back at Grimmauld Place, Mrs. Weasley arrived and immediately sought out her daughter. At George's suggestion, she found Ginny at Harry's side still clutching his hand in hers.
Molly's chest tightened painfully at the sight of her youngest child in such despair. Quietly Mrs. Weasley crossed the room. Seeing Harry lying there on the bed brought an eerie chill to her bones.
This can't be good for Ginny, she thought. It's only making her more upset to see him this way.
"Come on, dear," she encouraged, placing her hand on her daughter's shoulder.
Ginny stubbornly held her ground. "No, I'm not leaving him."
"Please Ginny, there is nothing more we can do for him now," she said gently. "There is a way you can help though. Learning the details of the evening might give us some clues and it could even lead us to a solution."
Reluctantly, Ginny allowed herself to be shunted from the room. As Mrs. Weasley took her hand and led her down the stairs, a horrible thought occurred to Ginny. She would have to explain everything all over again.
Ginny's nerves were raw as she entered the lounge. This is entirely my fault, she thought as wizards entered headquarters in twos and threes. Mrs. Weasley was drawn away momentarily and Ginny was left alone in the midst of the gathering wizards.
There were so many unfamiliar faces, all of them looking appraisingly at her. With each whispering glance, her guilt increased ten fold.
Mrs. Weasley returned from the kitchen and quickly realized the strain Ginny was under enduring the weight of their stares. Protectively, she gathered Ginny into her arms and removed her from the horde of watchful eyes.
"Let's go, dear. They'll call us when they're ready to begin." She led Ginny back up the stairs and down the hall to her room.
Crossing the threshold broke a dam of emotion. "I'm so sorry, Mum. I know I should have told you, but I didn't want to worry you anymore. It was hard enough on you when Riddle possessed me through the diary. I couldn't face hurting you like that again. I tried to handle it myself, but I couldn't. When I started to feel Harry in my dreams, it seemed like the answer. I never meant to hurt anyone, especially not Harry," she sobbed hugging her mother tighter.
"Shh…now," Mrs. Weasley soothed. "It will be alright, dear."
"No, it won't. He can't be hurt. I can't lose him," she whispered through choked tears, "Mum…I…I love him."
Mrs. Weasley closed her eyes. A sad, but knowing smile adorned her face. I should have seen this coming, she thought. She had known for years that Ginny had harbored a crush as a young girl, but she'd moved passed that hadn't she? No, there were signs, Mrs. Weasley admitted. There were always clues that a normal mother, under normal circumstances, would have noticed, she chastised herself. Of course, times these days are far from normal.
From there, Ginny's words flowed like a river, free of its banks. "I've felt this way for ages. I tried not to, Mum, really I did. I thought dating other boys would help, but it just wouldn't go away. Honestly, I didn't understand what I was feeling for the longest time." Ginny paused as her eyes dropped to the floor. The thought of Harry swept through her, "He's amazing, Mum. Even after everything he's been through, he's still caring and kind and… I love him," she whispered fixing her gaze on her mother. "What if I never get the chance to tell him how I feel? What if he...This is my fault," she admitted through the trembling of sobs.
"No, Ginevra, you listen to me. This is not your fault. You can't punish yourself for the actions a deranged wizard." Molly pulled Ginny closer, her heart breaking for her daughter. "Sshh… dear, it is going to be alright, I promise," she said consolingly. "We're all here now and we're going to help. You're not alone anymore."
Ginny pulled back and looked at her mum. Her sobs were subsiding, but the tears still trailed her cheeks. "Does loving someone always hurt this much?" she asked softly.
Mrs. Weasley felt a lump form in her throat. So innocent in the ways and pains of love, she thought as tears shined in her own eyes.
Mrs. Weasley tenderly brushed an errant tendril from Ginny's face. She held her chin in her hand, met her gaze and took a deep breath. "When you love someone with your whole heart, sometimes it hurts. It's also quite wonderful, dear. Loving someone is like giving your heart to another and trusting them keep it safe. Sometimes we choose the keeper, sometimes the keeper chooses us. It hurts because love makes the heart tender, but it strengthens the soul." Then brushing a tear away she added with a smile, "You'll have your chance to tell him, Ginny. I'm sure of it…and I want you to know, you've chosen well."
Downstairs, Ron and Hermione arrived. They were escorted by Moody and Tonks and joined the large group of wizards assembled in the lounge. Angry that everyone had been given priority over them, Ron entered the house in a blazing temper and ready for a fight. He was set to storm into the kitchen and let off some steam by showing them how hacked off he really was when Hermione reached out and grabbed his arm.
Ron stopped. He looked down at her quizzically in silence. When she offered no explanation for detaining him he spat, "What?!"
She simply held his gaze and slowly shook her head at him. She said nothing, but gently squeezed his arm in her hand. Her eyes remained locked on his. It was an odd sort of sight. Ron's expression was intense. He towered over her small body with his nearly six foot four frame, but she was no more intimidated by him than she would have been of a small child.
He contemplated her for a few measured seconds, and then just sighed deeply as she released his arm. No words had passed between them, but something undoubtedly did. Ron's anger remained, but the fire was gone. With a sigh he took a seat in the lounge and focused his energies on glaring at the gathering of wizards, his brothers included. In Ron's eyes, being 'on duty' when everything went wrong, made it mostly the twins fault.
Hermione, having diffused the worst of Ron's anger, walked straight to Ginny. She had just entered the lounge with Mrs. Weasley and looked completely distressed. Hermione wasted no time before pulling her into a tight, sisterly hug.
Fred and George regarded Ron warily under the weight of his stare. They had learned just how far to push him over the years. From their experience, they knew now was not the time try to take an extra inch of ground.
To say they were fascinated by the exchange between their brother and Hermione would be an understatement. Ron wasn't usually one to back down easily. Perplexed by the odd turn of events, the twins took to a quiet spot on the fringe of the room. They hovered at a safe distance in conference as their eyes darted between Ron and Hermione.
"Did you see that?" George asked Fred conspiratorially.
"Yeah, weird that was. She just looked at him. What's that all about?" Fred answered his twin's question with another inquiry.
"I don't know. From what I've seen, she's usually primed to get his hackles up with the rest of us, not calm him down," George added watching Ron stew across the room with interest.
"Well, however she's 'tamed' him, I for one am grateful. He can only be pushed so far, and I reckon he's at his limit at the moment," Fred admitted as George nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, as tempting as it is to turn this into the 'let's get Ron' escapade of the day, I think we should count ourselves lucky she was here. He looked right deadly when he walked in…and he's grown, you know. He might use more than his wand on us, given the chance."
Ron glared in their direction and then looked away. He was either unready or unwilling to forgive at the moment.
Exactly what happened here? Ron wondered.
From snatches of conversations about the room he'd gathered bits and pieces of information. No one seemed clear on the all the details, but Ron knew enough. He knew enough to be upset that his sister had been suffering in silence nearly all summer. He knew that because she chose not to confide in anyone, that his best friend was now somehow trapped in some sort of dream purgatory.
Ron was boiling inside at the thought of it. He wasn't angry at Ginny, exactly. She'd obviously been through hell from what they could piece together. Ron overheard Fred and George telling Tonks how Ginny looked as she tore down the hall to Harry's room. They said they had physically pried her from Harry's body and that she was nearly consumed with fear and panic.
Pressing down upon Ron's anger was another, more painful emotion. He was hurt. Hurt that she hadn't trusted him enough to come to him. Hurt that he had been too busy in his own dealings to notice something was terribly wrong. Most of all, hurt because growing up, they had always been close. They were companions, confidants, and friends. He was little more than a year her senior, but it was still his room Ginny ran to when she needed someone to 'chase away' her nightmares. He didn't completely understand why, but it felt as though that role had just been stripped from him in a single night's time.
Ron's attention was drawn from his thoughts as Professor Dumbledore directed the group into the kitchen. Nearly two dozen Aurors and Order members crammed themselves into the space. The entire Weasley clan was in attendance, oddly enough, Percy included. They were joined by McGonagall, Lupin, Moody, Tonks and a cast of several other Order members. They crowded around the room and waited for Dumbledore to begin.
Ginny was seated between Mrs. Weasley and her eldest brother at the table. The Headmaster positioned himself directly across from her as he spoke. "Although it may be difficult, Miss Weasley, it is imperative that we learn exactly what transpired here this evening. Any information connected to the events may assist us in retrieving Harry," Dumbledore coaxed smoothly.
Ginny nodded, but hesitated as every eye bore down upon her. Her vocal chords seemed to tighten painfully, lodging the words in her throat. Paralyzed by the gaze of her captive audience, the pressure overwhelmed her.
Bill Weasley reached for his sister's hand as she struggled to compose herself.
Dumbledore looked on sympathetically, thinking, if she is willing to accept the intrusion…"Excuse me, Miss Weasley, but perhaps I may be of some help. If you'd prefer, I could take a look and then share your experience for you," he offered with a comforting smile.
Ginny looked confused as she stuttered, "Er...sorry? Ta…Take a look at what?"
"Well, I happen to be in the position to peer into your mind, into your memories to be exact. Has Harry ever explained Occlumency to you?" he inquired maintaining a light and warm expression.
Comprehension dawned as Ginny nodded her permission. She was grateful to accept Dumbledore's offer to extract her memories. It meant her exemption from reliving the experience herself. It felt strange having Professor Dumbledore exploring her thoughts and recent images. When he finished, she felt oddly tired. It was as though she'd just played a rather long and physical game of Quidditch instead of having her thoughts played back in her head. Unconcerned with the side effects, she decided the trade off was worth any lingering discomfort.
"Professor, would it be alright…I'm mean, may I be excused please?" she asked in a quiet voice. The last thing she wanted was to be gawked at while Professor Dumbledore recounted the details of her experience. With a nod of understanding he consented. Bill gave Ginny's hand a comforting squeeze and then released her.
When the kitchen door closed behind her, the members of the group erupted with questions. Dumbledore filled in the missing details, explaining everything that led up to events of the evening. He'd also been privy to some rather personal information, which he respectfully chose to exclude. Ginny's feelings and the few tender moments she and Harry had shared were private and irrelevant to the situation. Dumbledore felt they should remain so, until Ginny herself felt otherwise inclined.
After Dumbledore's summary, the group huddled around the table talking in whispers. Numerous possibilities and their ramifications flooded the room as various groups shared their ideas. After all reasonable, and some not so reasonable options had been considered, Professor Dumbledore rose, covering the room in a blanket of silence.
"It seems to me," he began, "the obvious answer is to do one, of two things. We can provide Ginny with a sleeping draught that will allow her to have dreamless sleep and wait for Harry to fight his way out." Rumblings flooded the room, as the logic and merits of that option were considered and then unanimously ruled out.
"I thought not," Dumbledore responded with a bemused smile. "The other option I'm afraid, is for Ginny to go back into her dream, taking with her reinforcements… namely me. I can enter her mind as she sleeps and in effect, accompany her back into the chamber." Again there were rumblings, but this time the general consensus was much more positive. That was until a sharp gasp was heard from the far end of the table.
Mrs. Weasley grasped where the plan was going and rose abruptly from her chair in dissent, "Absolutely not! We are not using my only daughter as bait! Surely Albus, there has to be another way!"
Dumbledore gazed back at her, sadness in his eyes, "I'm afraid not, Molly. Ginevra's dream opens the portal. Her presence is unfortunately required. Without her assistance, I fear Harry may be trapped for quite some time while we work out another plan."
"More time, then," she responded. "We simply need more time to come up with a better plan. From Ginny's memories we know that no matter what happened in her dream, when she awoke she was unharmed, at least physically. So, in a manner of speaking, Harry's 'safe' for now."
Had Ginny heard Dumbledore's suggestion, it would no longer be up for discussion. She would have agreed to it immediately. However, after leaving the kitchen, she returned to Harry's bedroom and pulled a chair to his bedside. Keeping vigil, she sat transfixed by the steady rise and fall of his chest. His slow, deep breathing remained her only reassurance of his continued survival. When watching alone became agonizing, she reached out to rest her hand on his heart, just to feel it beating.
Guilt devoured her. If only I had told someone sooner, Harry wouldn't be lost right now. She heard enough downstairs to know that they could have stopped the torture with a simple dreamless sleep draught. Why hadn't I thought of that?
"Please, Harry, you have to wake up," she pleaded quietly as she straightened the tangle of sheets over his body. "I'm so sorry this has happened to you. I never meant to hurt you. That's the last thing I would ever want. I love you," she ended in a whisper.
Slowly she moved closer to him and touched his cheek with her hand. It was warm and soft against her skin. Without thinking, she leaned down, kissing his forehead and tenderly smoothed the hair around his face. She moved to return to her chair when a fine red line began forming on his cheek. She ran her fingers slowly over the mark as it widened. Warm, wet liquid seeped against the tips of her fingers. Startled, she jerked them away. Her hand trembled uncontrollably. Reluctantly, her eyes fixed on the sight in horror.
"Harry, NO! HELP HIM!! Someone, help him!" she cried.
In seconds, wizards apparated all around her and Mrs. Weasley bustled to her daughter taking hold of her shoulders, "Ginny! Ginny, what's wrong?"
Ginny's body was now shaking with renewed sobs as she raised her hand into view.
Mrs. Weasley froze, temporarily stunned at the sight, "Blood?!" she exclaimed, a wave of fear crashing upon her. "Where…where did that come from?! Are you hurt?"
Ginny shook her head, lower lip trembling. She didn't speak, but looked back at Harry. The others followed her gaze to his cheek. A newly formed gash was emitting a slow, but steady red trickle. It formed a bloody trail as it ran down his cheek and onto his pillow.
Instantly, near-hysteria filled the room. The bedlam was enough to wake the dead, but Harry's body remained lifeless.
"Enough!" Professor Dumbledore shouted over the pandemonium. "Panic can not help Harry, only expedient actions."
The tone of the room was intense, the urgency of the situation, magnified. Harry was in real danger. A ripple effect seemed to have begun and his body was mirroring events from the dream. If Harry could be cut in the dream world and bleed in reality, then they knew that the worst must also be true.
Immediately, Mr. Weasley knew what it meant. He pushed down his fear and went to comfort his wife. Ron held his little sister as she buried her face in his shoulder with grief. Hermione moved to the bedside and slid Harry's hand into hers, tears spilling from her eyes unchecked. The others stood by, shocked into silence.
Professor Dumbledore, alone, chose to speak. Slowly his eyes left Harry and met Mr. Weasley's. Then, he moved closer and rested his hand on Mrs. Weasley's shoulder.
"No, Albus," she pleaded. "There must be another way."
"I'm sorry, Molly," Dumbledore responded, "I am afraid we are now, out of time."
A/N: Continued appreciation goes out to my wonderful betas, Sonicdale and Tante. You two are the best! By the way Tante, thanks for helping me to keep George's behavior on the up and up. :)
Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Code of Brotherhood
Chapter 12 The Code of BrotherhoodHarry awoke to a fuzzy halo of amber light seeping into view. The room felt as though it were spinning. Beneath his body, he was dimly aware of the solid stone that his stiff body had come to rest upon and he was feeling very groggy and disoriented. He reached up to his cheek, touching the painful cut that had been seared into his flesh. His skin felt tight where the dried blood from the gash had crystallized on his face. He blinked his eyes, trying to focus, as the events of the evening slowly crept back into his mind.
As the fog swirling through his brain cleared, Ginny sprung back into his mind. What had happened to her? He had to know if she was okay and where Riddle had gone. What if she was back in her dream at that very moment? Harry had no idea how long he’d been out. For all he knew it could have easily been an hour…of course, it could have just as easily been a day.
He was worried about her. If he knew anything, he knew she was loyal. She would never just… abandon him there. As he considered her devotion and friendship, he couldn’t believe that it took him so long to realize his feelings for her.
Of course, his timing wasn’t exactly perfect. Now wasn’t a really a good time to start a relationship...Honestly, he seriously doubted that there would ever be a time in his life that it would be. Regardless of what he intended to do about his feelings, however, the last thing he wanted was for her to be hurt even more because of him but… that’s exactly what he feared would happen.
Harry had no delusions that Riddle was bluffing. He knew what that bastard would do to her if he got the chance. Earlier, he had made his intentions for her all too clear and Harry had no doubts that Riddle planned to make good on his promises to force her… through whatever means necessary… to become ‘useful’. Harry’s true fear was that Riddle would do something to her that Ginny would never recover from...even if it were only in her dream.
Harry’s mind unwillingly drifted back to the memory of the kiss that he witnessed between Riddle and Ginny. From under the cover of his cloak, he saw how she had entwined herself with him, how she hungrily covered his mouth with hers. He had wanted to look away, but he couldn’t. It was like a morbid need had gripped him and was forcing him to watch what was happening before him. Now, it was…well, it was permanently burned into his mind. That kiss was unlike anything he himself had ever experienced.
Actually… that wasn’t entirely true.
There was something ‘the kiss’ had reminded him of... Although he almost felt guilty about them, some of his more recent fantasies about Ginny…the incredibly, erotic fantasies that he tried to resist, but simply couldn’t…were very much like that kiss…raw, intense, and completely intoxicating. When he gave into them, they had caused his body to respond almost painfully as he literally ached for the touch of her skin on his own. Everything about her aroused him. Her hair, the way she smelled, the unbelievably sexy way she bit her bottom lip…
Just a few short hours ago as he stood on the landing outside her bedroom door; it was almost suffocating how much he had wanted her. Damn! Why now? He really didn’t understand why or how his feelings and desires could have become so intense so quickly, but one fact remained… they had.
Watching Riddle share such a passionate exchange with Ginny had completely sickened him. Riddle himself had even faltered a bit at the intensity of her which only seemed to put a finer point on the problem at hand. “If she was that passionate with the mere suggestion of a kiss…” Harry squeezed his eyes closed trying to block out the images to no avail. He shuddered to think what would happen under the Imperious Curse if Riddle took things further than demanding only her kisses. It was pretty clear that she would be more than ‘obedient’ under the curse.
Worse yet, what if he pulled her through the portal as well. Riddle had said something about his power being much more ‘far-reaching’ from this side of the dream world. Harry wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but he knew enough to know that… it couldn’t be good.
Harry fought off the urge to allow his body a few moments time to adjust to the pain. Instead, he gingerly raised himself to a sitting position. He had obviously been thrown into another room and was left were he lay. He couldn’t help but wonder why though. Why hadn’t Riddle simply finished him off when he blacked out? If he was able to inflict a wound on his cheek, surely he could have done worse. Why had he allowed him to live if he had the opportunity to eliminate him? Obviously, he wasn’t finished with Harry yet. He must have something in mind…some new form of torture that he planned to inflict…or he wouldn’t have bothered to let him live at all.
Then another thought suddenly occurred to Harry. Perhaps Riddle couldn’t kill him in the dream world. Perhaps, he would need to settle for torturing Harry in this realm. If he had kept him to torture him, he didn’t seem to be up to his usual vindictive level of evil. It was almost as if… he had wanted Harry to wake up…but why?
Bringing his attention back to the matters at hand, he began to look carefully around the room. Taking in his surroundings, he realized the new room was quite different than the one he had first tumbled into with Riddle. It had the same stone pillars and the same paneled mahogany walls, but it was devoid of any other furnishings. No warm fire crackled in the grate and only a single torch permitted any light at all into the windowless room. The only other thing he could make out in the room was a large mirror hanging over the empty fireplace. Other than being a bit garish, it seemed otherwise quite unremarkable. It certainly didn’t resemble the portal through which he arrived.
As he continued his scan of the room, his eyes came to rest on a familiar looking doorway. It looked just like the one he saw from the other room. Slowly he rose to his feet. ‘Surely, that would have to be all too easy.’ He thought to himself. Even if the door were open, he had the feeling that going through it would be like walking into another trap. With those facts running though his mind, he still couldn’t resist the temptation. Cautiously, he moved toward the doorway. As was expected, it was sealed tight.
Harry reached for his wand, noticing for the first time that it was missing. This turn of events was not at all unexpected either. Harry thought about the appearance of his cloak and how he was able to mentally knock Riddle off balance in the chamber from Ginny’s dream. He concentrated hard on his wand, hoping to feel that familiar tingling in his hands, but nothing happened. Next, he closed his eyes tightly, focusing on the doorway. He tried to envision the locking mechanism and the tumblers moving into place. He visualized the process in his mind as it opened before him leaving a lit pathway ahead. Unfortunately, when he reopened his eyes, a vision was all it had been and the door still remained locked. ‘So much for unearthly abilities.’ He thought.
Next Harry walked the perimeter of the room looking for trick panels, hidden passages, anything that may provide a way out. After making a complete circle, Harry walked to the far side of the room and leaned his back against the wall. He was out of ideas for the moment. He slowly allowed his body to slide down the wall as he sat on the floor. The mirror was in his direct line of sight and he found himself looking into it and watching the reflection of the wall behind him. It seemed as though he had sat there for quite sometime. He began to fill the time with visions of Ginny. A pleasant escape, but yet torture at the same time. He wondered if he’d ever share a kiss with her like the one he witnessed. In reality, he really didn’t think it would be a good idea as he remembered his vow to ‘keep his distance’ for her own good. “Hell, I don’t even know if she’s even interested in me that way. She might actually appreciate me keeping my distance, she may even expect it.” He thought out loud. He tried to clear his mind as he again focused on the mirror on the wall. After several minutes he gradually started to feel his eyes slide out of focus as he stared into space.
Back at Grimwald Place… to say things were a bit tense would be a gross understatement of the situation.
Professor Dumbledore had relayed ‘the plan’ in detail to everyone. He then sent for Madame Pomfrey. She was to join them at headquarters as soon as possible. Her purpose was two-fold. First, she was to prepare a sleeping draught that would calm Ginny down and allow her to go directly to sleep. Next, she would monitor Harry’s condition and the conditions of Ginny and Professor Dumbledore once they entered the chamber of her dreams.
While they waited for the Hogwart’s nurse, Ginny, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley were holed up in the girls’ bedroom. They were trying to help Ginny remain calm and focused as Mrs. Weasley fought back tears and Hermione paced the room.
Hermione felt quite helpless. She was sick with worry for Harry. After all, he was one of her best friends and frankly, he was the closest thing she had ever had to a brother and she loved him dearly. She did have Ron, but Ron was different. She and Harry never shared the tension that always crept in between her and Ron. She could relax and let go with Harry. Her worry for Harry was only matched by her sense of panic over Ginny’s part in the plan. She hated the idea of Ginny having to go in there like that again. It would be like offering herself on a silver platter to Riddle. Hermione shuddered at the thought of it. For all her intelligence, she could think of nothing that would help which was maddening for a witch like Hermione who counted on her wits to help in dire times. She had offered to go in Ginny’s place, but that was idea immediately rejected by Dumbledore because after all, it was Ginny’s dream. She would definitely have to go.
For her part, Mrs. Weasley had continued to half-heartedly protest the plan, but after seeing Harry bleeding, she was forced to concede… they really had no other choice. Besides, once Ginny had heard what Professor Dumbledore had in mind, there was no stopping her.
Mrs. Weasley knew deep down, her daughter would do anything to get Harry out safely. Her only daughter was in love...she had said so herself and Molly had no doubt that she meant it. Upon reflection, she admitted silently that she would have done the same if the circumstances were reversed and it was Arthur trapped in there and she was his only hope.
At that point, Ginny was more than ready. In fact, she was a bit impatient. She was ready for someone to put her out immediately and she became very distraught when she learned that they would have to wait for Madame Pomfrey. So much so, that Mrs. Weasley was tempted to make her some of her ‘special tea’… usually laced with fire whiskey… to calm her down a bit. She was actually considering making some for herself and Hermione as well.
Ginny was actually the calmest of the three ladies. She was very focused on her objective. Save Harry. That’s the part she was fixated on at the moment. She told herself that nothing else mattered. She knew she could survive anything if Harry was safe. Ginny’s mission had been explained very clearly to her. She was to serve as a ‘distraction’, offer herself in exchange for Harry. Riddle was sure to go for it because in reality, it was something Ginny would do and Riddle knew that about her. They all knew it was unlikely…more like an impossibility actually… that Riddle would actual stick to the bargain if he agreed to the trade, but the whole process of ‘the trade’ could provide them with a window of opportunity to retrieve Harry and hopefully Ginny as well before Riddle could inflict anymore of his disgusting fantasies upon her.
Dumbledore would be there of course, but he explained that he would be unable to help until he could ascertain Harry’s whereabouts. If he intervened too soon, then they would tip their hand… and Harry’s chances would rapidly disintegrate to nothing. The plan seemed simple enough, but the worst part was, that there were certain ‘sacrifices’ she may be called upon to make. The hope was that that wouldn’t be necessary. Professor Dumbledore had reassured everyone that it would all be over before things got ‘out of hand’ with Riddle and Ginny, but that really wasn’t much consolation for them. Even more frightening was the fact that if somehow he managed to get Ginny through the portal, what happened to her there, Dumbledore now knew would also happen to her physical body in the real world.
Downstairs, the Order members were gathered in the kitchen discussing any last minute possibilities. Mr. Weasley was the only one not talking at all. All he could think of was that he was sending his baby girl to the slaughter. Everyone hated the plan, including Professor Dumbledore, but it was the only one they had. They all knew this was bigger than just saving Harry because he was a good person and they all loved him. He was the marked one. Without him, the prophecy could never be fulfilled. Voldemort would win. Harry’s survival was imperative… and they all knew it.
In the lounge, the Weasley brothers were having a veritable huddle of their own. Ron and his brothers had been talking for the last several minutes in hushed voices. For the first time in ages, all 6 Weasley sons from Bill on down, were present. The twins and Ron were especially hostile about the situation.
“What the hell is Dumbledore playing at?” Fred growled. “Doesn’t he realize what he’s asking Ginny to do?”
Charlie looked pale as he answered in almost a whisper, “He’s says it…it won’t come to that.” His tone sounded as though he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else really.
Ron and George both huffed at the same time. “Bloody hell, Charlie! We’re talking about our sister here! I know first hand that Ginny’s brilliant at hexes and curses, but she’s not some auror or trained Order member! She’s 16 bloody years old! How the hell does he know what it will ‘come to’ in there?” Ron replied with a grimace. “Dumbledore is the greatest wizard I know, but he hasn’t been able to defeat Vol…Volde…Aw Hell! He hasn’t beat ‘You-Know-Who’ yet, has he? We all know what Riddle is capable of…none better than Ginny herself! Besides…you saw Harry bleeding just like the rest of us. Things have become much more dangerous than before. The rules have obviously changed!”
Following Ron and Fred’s lead, George interjected, “Yeah! Besides, you lot didn’t see her. Fred and I did! She was absolutely terrified! It may be a bloody dream, but I’m telling you… it feels bloody real to her! I’m afraid she’ll get in there and just…just panic!”
Charlie ran his hands roughly over his eyes then looked to his eldest brother Bill for leadership and direction. Until this point Bill had been staring at the floor, fists clenched listening to the others. Bill scanned the group of his brothers then spat out, “Fuck it! We can’t let them do it…we just can’t…at least not alone.”
Fred’s response came swiftly, as he punched his fist into the air, “YES!! Now you’re talking!!”
Percy had been silent until now as he cleared his throat a bit cautiously, “Er…I don’t think we should… interfere. Dumbledore knows wh…what he’s doing.” He added as his voice cracked nervously.
Five pairs of young men’s eyes turned abruptly to glare down on Percy instantly with fury. The boys had never truly forgiven Percy for his betrayal of their family. The only reason they even tolerated him was for their mother’s sake. Ron practically bored a hole through him with the daggers he was throwing his way.
He felt his anger coursing through him as he attacked in a growl, “Shut it Perce! Since when do you support Dumbledore so blindly? In fact…I’m not sure your vote counts at all! It wasn’t that long ago that you were totally against him…claimed he’d gone a bit ‘round the twist, if I recall! Let’s face it, you haven’t exactly always had the family’s best interests at heart either, have you ‘Mr. Ambition’? You’re probably worried about your own sorry arse! Well, here’s a news flash for ya Percy, the Ministry is falling apart! You can forget about getting any ruddy promotions any time soon! But hell...I guess you figure, just in case...it’s Ginny and Harry be damned to you, huh Perce? Well, if you don’t want to help our own little sister and my best mate, then you can just...FUCKING SOD OFF!”
Percy tried desperately to back track as the circle of his brothers seemed to be closing in on him. “Well, no… of course not…I just thought that…”
Then Fred and George narrowed their gaze on Percy even more as Fred advised, “If you so much as take one bloody step toward Dumbledore…” “or mum for that matter…” George added before Fred continued. “If you so much as think of going to tell them what’s up,…George and I will curse you into oblivion…and you know we can. Just give us a reason. Keep in mind...Mum’s too busy right now to stop us.”
With that said, Percy resumed his silence.
Charlie then looked to Bill again, “One thing’s for sure… we can’t leave Harry any longer, that much is definitely true. So, what do you have in mind Bill?”
The brothers all murmured their ascent, except Percy of course who wasn’t saying anything but looked as white as a sheet. They all fell silent and stared at the eldest Weasley brother, waiting for instructions.
One thing they could all agree with Dumbledore about was that they were indeed out of time. Something had to be done...and it had to be done now.
No one needed to tell any of them how important Harry was to the wizarding world, but it was much more than that to them. Harry may have been Ron’s best friend, but they had all grown rather attached to Harry over the years. He had become somewhat of a 7th brother to them. The Weasley boys had always followed a sort of unwritten code of brotherhood. To them, Harry was family…bloodlines be damned. Their ‘code’ simply wouldn’t allow for them to desert a brother, and in their minds…that included Harry.
Bill scanned the circle then lowered his voice. “I have an idea. I’m not sure if Dumbledore will go for it…I’m sure mum won’t… so we’ll need to be a bit stealthy in our execution. Before we have any chance at all of this working, I’ll need a little time to gather what we need.”
Pausing briefly he then looked at the twins, “I believe this is your area of expertise. A diversion of sorts is in order.” He stated with a grin and a wink. They nodded their agreement with knowing glances at each other and matching smirks spreading across their faces.
“Next we’ll need total cooperation.” He shot Percy a bit of a warning look, before continuing. “The rest of you lot…well, what I have in mind...it’s a bit risky and this isn’t exactly…well, legal…at least not entirely... so if you want left out of it, I’ll understand.” Bill waited, allowing time for anyone to step away from the circle. Not one brother moved, not even Percy, which was really making a statement for him. Lawlessness and unruliness were two of the things that caused Percy to literally break out into hives.
After a bit of a pause, Bill continued, “Good! Together then…Now, listen closely; this is what we’re going to do…”
Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Waging War with the Weasleys
Chapter 13 Waging War with the Weasleys“Alright then? Everyone set?” Bill looked quickly around the group as the rest of the Weasley brothers nodded their ascent. “Good then. We haven’t got much time…let’s go to work.”
Moments later, Fred and George were slipping back in the front door. They threw their brothers a wink and a nod. With that, Bill, Charlie and Percy apparated into thin air just as the kitchen door was swinging open. Dumbledore, Lupin, and Mr. Weasley were entering the lounge looking quite serious and a bit exhausted.
The three remaining Weasley brothers stepped toward the approaching group. They all had their assignments. Now it was time to put their plan into action.
Ron approached Mr. Weasley looking completely spent. “Er…Dad? Might I have a word…in private?”
Mr. Weasley looked sympathetically at his youngest son. He knew the situation was hard on all of them, but surely it must be the most difficult for Ron. After all, not only was his sister involved, but also Harry was his best mate. They’d been through more adventures together in their 17 years than most wizards had in a lifetime. Now Harry was in trouble again, but this time Ron felt helpless to do anything about it. Mr. Weasley gave Dumbledore a quick questioning glance. With an expression of sympathy, he motioned for Mr. Weasley to see to his son. Watching their silent exchange, Ron turned and led his father back through the kitchen. They made their way passed the other Order members and slipped out the back door into the garden.
With Mr. Weasley out of the way, Fred and George quickly cornered Professor Dumbledore and Lupin. “Come with us.” Fred stated as more of a command than a request. The expressions on the twin’s faces were quite different from the mischievous smirks they usually sported. The elder wizards looked at one another quizzically, and then with a nod they quietly agreed. Fred and George headed towards the stairs urging them to follow.
As the twins reached the top of the stairs, in unison they shot a quick glance toward the girl’s room. They could hear the muffled voices of Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and Hermione drifting into the hallway. It was as if they were hoping they wouldn’t suddenly emerge. When they didn’t, they then turned to enter their own room followed closely by Remus and Dumbledore. Once inside, they locked the door and shielded the room with a silencing charm.
“It appears… you two may have something of importance to share with us.” Dumbledore spoke as he gazed with curiosity at the Weasley twins. “From the looks of you, I’d wager that it’s not something you believe your parents would want to hear either… given the fact that young Ron was obviously instructed to remove Arthur from the equation a few minutes ago.” Dumbledore stated evenly.
Fred and George looked at each other briefly then quickly they took out their wands and turned them on Dumbledore and Lupin. Looking puzzled but nonplussed Dumbledore suggested, “I assure you, those won’t be necessary. We are here to listen. Perhaps you should start at the beginning.”
Fred and George glanced at each other again and with a shrug they lowered their wands. A bit nervously but determined, George began to speak. “Well, Ginny is our sister and Harry is more than just… just a mate to us. He’s become like family. We don’t reckon… sitting around and waiting to see how things turn out is going to work for us.” Lupin and Dumbledore continued to regard the twins with great interest.
“I’d say we could agree that… that’s quite understandable.” Lupin stated after a brief pause of silence. “What exactly did you have in mind?”
Feeling a bit more confident now, Fred continued, “Well, the thing is…we’ve kind of come up with a plan of our own. That is to say… Bill has. It’s already been set in motion, so we’re hoping you’ll get on board. We thought, for Dad’s sake, it was best to leave him out of it. Mum would skin us if she knew what we were up to…better for Dad if he can honestly say he had absolutely no idea. Not to mention the possible consequences at the Ministry over this.”
“That sounds true enough.” Dumbledore responded looking warmly at Fred and George over his half moon spectacles He still seemed to be completely unalarmed by the situation at the moment. “I’m sure you’re father will thank you in the long run. So…in what ways exactly have the Weasley brothers ‘tweaked the plan’?
By the time Fred and George had finished laying it all out for them, Professor Dumbledore and Lupin were both grinning. “Interesting… It does sound as though it will provide us with a more permanent solution to our problem… if it works. Funny though… I wasn’t aware that we had such an object in our possession.” Dumbledore said.
George gave Fred a quick nervous glance before answering. “Well…It’s not exactly in our ‘possession’…not yet anyway. Bill and Charlie went to…’borrow’ it. It was one of the items that Bill recovered on a tomb raid in Egypt. That’s how he knew about it. It’s being stored at the Ministry… in the Department of Mysteries.”
Lupin gasped, “Borrow it… from the department of Mysteries? How do they intend to do that exactly?”
“Well, Bill and Charlie have seen some things working in Romania and Egypt over the years.” Offered Fred with a bit of a smirk before continuing. “They didn’t exactly give us the details of how they intended to pull it off, but they’re pretty resourceful. They didn’t seem to think that getting it would be the problem. They were more concerned about getting out of the Ministry once they’ve got it.”
“Understandably so…” responded Professor Dumbledore. “So once they’ve arrived, how do they intend to slip past Molly to do this?”
“Well, that’s where we come in isn’t it? You know…diversions have always been a bit of a passion for us.” Said George with a grin.
“Ah yes, I seem to recall a rousing story about a bit of swamp land erupting in the main corridor at Hogwarts in my absence.” He was definitely smiling now. “So… I assume Percy was more than a little distraught over the new plan?”
“Well, he wasn’t what you could call thrilled, but he ‘kind of’ agreed to help.” George said before Fred could add, “Yeah…under threat of being cursed into pieces small enough to fit into a shoebox. He’s at Hogwarts now…detaining Madame Pomfrey as long as possible.”
“It appears you have thought of everything except one…What about Hermione?” Lupin asked.
“What do you mean?” Fred asked in confusion.
“Well, do you really think she’ll leave Harry’s side when it sounds like all hell’s breaking loose in the front garden? She won’t want to leave him unguarded will she?” Lupin asked.
“Hmm…we hadn’t considered her reaction in that way, but you may be right. What do you think George? Do you think Ron can handle her?” Fred asked with a grin.
“Well, he has wanted to ‘handle her’ for quite some time…” He responded with a chuckle. “Maybe he could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Get things off his chest and keep her out of the way at the same time. Although, if she were in on the plan, I’m not sure she’d protest…Hermione hasn’t exactly trembled and hid when things have gotten rough over the years. She may even want to help. Maybe she could even help with mum a bit.”
“That’s decided then. Ron can talk to her and if he runs into trouble, he’ll just have to suck it up and… and snog her. Do you think he’ll go for it?” Fred asked unsure that his younger brother was up to the task.
“I don’t know, but I guess we’ll find out. If he doesn’t… he’s a git. Have you looked at Hermione lately? I mean really looked? Don’t tell Ron, but if he didn’t fancy her…I wouldn’t mind having a go. I could do with a bit of a snog with her myself.” George finished with a grin.
“Yeah, she has filled out rather nicely over the years hasn’t she? ‘Course…like you said, Ron has definitely marked his territory…even if he’s too thick to do anything about it. You saw how they looked at each other when they arrived. Something is going on between them. She has too much power over him for there not to be.” Fred answered seeming to daydream about how Hermione’s form had pleasingly developed over the last couple of years.
“Er…hello?” Remus smiled with a chuckle, “I mean I believe we can all agree that Miss Granger is lovely, but honestly… aren’t you two getting a bit off track here?”
Snapping back to the current moment Fred said with a grin, “Yeah, a bit I guess. You’re right. I think we’d better be getting downstairs now. I don’t know how much longer Ron can play the part of the tortured friend and brother in need of fatherly advice. He’s got to be running out of misery to vent by now. Better if Dad doesn’t suspect we’ve talked. At least not until after things are fully under way.”
As they reentered the lounge they found Bill and Charlie healing some cuts and bruises for each other but looking, all in all… basically unscathed. As the group walked over, Fred asked, “Well? Did you get it?” With a look of triumph, Bill pulled a thin gold chain from his robes and held it out in front of him. Suspended from the fluid-like chain was what appeared to be a perfectly smooth, deep, emerald green stone. It was the size and shape of an egg and seemed to be emitting a faint glow from within its core. It looked ancient… and probably was considering its point of origin.
Charlie spoke quietly as he asked, “So things have gone off without any set backs here I take it?” tilting his head toward Dumbledore with a grin.
“Yes Mr. Weasley, Remus and I are pleased with your…initiative. I’m not sure I want to know this, but just how did you get out of the Ministry?” Dumbledore asked with a grin.
“Well, let’s just say…more than a few wizards won’t remember much of their guard duty tonight at the department of Mysteries. Right Charlie?” Bill chuckled with a wink. It was as if what they had just done was a bit of a lark…like a game to them. It had been risky, but thrilling. They were both trained in magical war tactics after all and had seen quite a bit of action…more than Mrs. Weasley would ever want to know about.
“Is Perce back yet?” The words were barely out of Bill’s mouth when Percy apparated next to him. “How much time do we have?” Bill asked turning to Percy, completely unfazed by his sudden appearance beside him.
“Not long now, probably just a few minutes I’d say. I’m afraid she’s a bit hacked off though. To keep her from getting here too soon I had to ‘accidentally’ break the vial holding the sleeping draught…twice. The first time I just knocked it off the table, but the second time I had to actually pretend to trip and knock it out of her hand as she was preparing to apparate. She was on her third batch when she told me to go on without her. How are we doing back here?” He asked looking less distraught than when he left noting the inclusion of Dumbledore and Lupin in the circle of their discussion.
“Ron’s got dad off listening to his woes…should be back any minute.” Fred said.
At that point, other Order members were beginning to trickle into the lounge. Moody seemed to being eyeing them all suspiciously, which didn’t necessarily mean anything…he was always eyeing people suspiciously. Keeping his magical eye on the whispering circle, he moved to where Professor McGonagall and Tonks were standing to join them.
Shortly afterward, Madame Pomfrey arrived. She looked tired and somewhat irritated as she walked over to Dumbledore, who greeted her warmly. “Good evening, Poppy. No trouble I hope?” He asked. Then for good measure he threw in, “I’d rather thought you’d get here a little more quickly.” Holding back a small grin, he envisioned the nurse cringing as the potion splattered all over the floor for the second time.
Through gritted teeth she answered, “Well, I would have, but we had a couple of mishaps.” She shot Percy a glare of contempt as she spoke.
Dumbledore answered brightly, “Well, no matter. You’re here now.”
Dumbledore scanned the room considering the Weasley brothers. He had always enjoyed their creativity when they were at Hogwarts. Even Fred and George with all their antics in his mind had been quite entertaining. He watched slightly amused as Fred and George pulled Ron aside. Mr. Weasley and he had just returned to the lounge. Ron certainly looked the part of the pitiful son as they walked in with Mr. Weasley’s hand on his son’s back.
Professor Dumbledore watched the conversation between the three youngest Weasley brothers with interest as Ron bristled in alarm. He continued to watch his body language as his face turned a bright shade pink and he quickly shook his head in disagreement. He gaped at his brothers then at the floor. After a few seconds of quiet argument, his shoulders slumped in resolution. He slowly nodded as he turned to see Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Hermione walking down the stairs to join the gathering in the lounge. With a bit of a nudge from George, Ron slowly moved off through the lounge skirting the many people now practically filling the room.
As he approached Hermione he bent down and whispered something to her. She looked up rather concerned and nodded quietly. He turned and walked back into the kitchen with her following closely behind him. When he looked around, he was relieved to see that the kitchen was indeed empty. He turned as he heard the kitchen door swing closed behind him to face Hermione.
“What is it Ron? You’re scaring me.” She said with a trace of panic in her voice.
“There’s something I have to tell you Hermione.” He offered almost stalling.
“Yes, Ron. I gathered that when you said that you needed to talk to me in private and that it couldn’t wait.” She answered a bit flustered. “What’s going on? Is it about Harry?”
“Well, yes…you see Bill has come up with an alternative to the original plan. It won’t be just Ginny and Dumbledore going into her dream. Bill and I will be going as well.” He watched as her mouth gaped slightly and then before she could protest he moved his fingers over her lips to quiet her. “Before you say anything, you should know that Dumbledore and Lupin know about this and they agreed it could work.”
Reaching up to remove his hand from her lips she quietly asked, “It ‘could’ work? That doesn’t sound all that convincing, does it?” She was still holding the hand that she had removed as she gazed up at him.
“Listen Hermione, we couldn’t just sit idly by and wait. You know that’s not who we are…who I am. I really need to know you’re with me on this. It’s for Harry and Ginny. We could really use your help with mum.” His eyes looked pleadingly down at her.
“Of course I’ll help Ron. I’m just worried. Now, all three of my best friends will be in there. Why can’t I come too?” She looked up hopefully.
“Absolutely not! It’s out of the question!” He growled a bit louder than he intended. Hurt was spreading across her face in response to his voice. Trying to calm down he added, “I’m sorry for yelling, but this isn’t a game Hermione. You know that. You can’t just come along for the ride. I won’t be able to concentrate on what’s happening if I’m worried that Riddle will grab you too.” Without thinking he had taken hold of her arms and was looking directly into her eyes.
“Alright Ron,. I’ll do whatever you ask. How can I help?” She asked. The tension easing from his body a bit he explained about the diversion and what their plans were. He told her what he needed her to do and she nodded her agreement. “Well, I suppose we should get back. I’m sure they’ll be starting soon.” As he turned to leave, Hermione reached out her hand to stop him as she touched his arm.
He paused silently looking down at her hand touching him. His brothers’ suggestion to tell her how he really felt had been racing through his mind. As panicked as he felt at the thought of it, part of him ached to tell her. What if she rejected him? It could ruin what they did have together. He didn’t think he could stand it if she was no longer in his life at all. Swallowing hard he spoke in almost a whisper, “Wha…What is it Hermione?” his voice cracking a bit.
“Ron? What if I had said no? What would you have done?” Ron practically choked as his breath caught in his throat. “Er…What do you mean?”
She continued to gaze at him unwavering as she firmly held onto his arm. “I mean…what if I had said I couldn’t do this…that I was going to tell your mum what you were doing…what if I had threatened to tell her to keep you safe?”
He gently pulled from her grasp and walked over to lean against the counter. He slowly ran his hands over his face rubbing his eyes. When he opened his eyes she was standing before him looking curiously up at him. He was tired and stressed… and nervous as hell.
In that moment she looked so incredibly vulnerable…so beautiful. In a voice that was barely audible he spoke, “There was a plan B.”
She cocked her head and looked up at him slightly confused. “A plan B? What do you mean? What was your second plan?”
He swallowed hard again and slowly reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her face. He slid his hand down her cheek and rested it at her jaw line. His eyes were locked on hers and the noise from the lounge had disappeared. The only sound he could hear was his heart pounding in his chest. She didn’t pull away. She didn’t even move. Grasping for courage he slowly moved his hand down and slid it under her hair, cupping the nape of her neck.
He felt her shudder at his touch and the small hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Driven by the response of her body, he began to lean down towards her. He watched her as he moved steadily closer. He was close enough to feel her breathe when he saw her eyes slowly close. Did he dare hope that she wanted him too? As he closed the small gap between them he brushed his lips gently against hers. She responded instantly and slid her hands up his chest and around his neck pulling him against her. With a moan he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her fully. With each passing second his desire for her was building as he deepened their kiss and slid his tongue past her parted lips and into her mouth. After a few more seconds of kissing he drew back from her holding her warm gaze. Without a word passing between them he pulled her close burying his face in her hair. It was time. He had to let it go as he breathed “I love you Hermione…I love you so much.”
She reached up and pulled him back so she could look at him. There were unshed tears in her eyes as she held his face in her hands. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to hear you say those words? …I love you too Ron.” He smiled and pulled her to him again kissing her warmly. It felt so right to be with her finally. Why had he waited so long? The timing however was horrible as the voices from the lounge began to seep back into his mind. This would have to wait. Harry needed them now.
“We need to go Hermione, but…when this is over, would you go out with me?” She smiled up at him and nodded. “Good. I was hoping you’d say that.” He said.
As he turned to go, again she reached out to stop him. With a bit of a smile she asked, “That was really your Plan B? You were going to win me over by snogging me senseless?”
Looking a bit sheepish he responded, “Yeah, that was pretty much it. I don’t want you to think…Well, it doesn’t mean I didn’t want to do it anyway…I mean before it was part of ‘The Plan’. It’s just… I’ve been having a hard time getting up the courage to do it. Why? Would it have worked?”
She grinned shyly at him then quietly responded, “Yes, I believe it would have.”
Smiling, he took her hand and they walked to the door. As he raised his hand to open it, he bent down and kissed her gently one last time before leading her back in to the room with the others.
He cast a nod to his brothers as he joined them and Hermione went to join Mrs. Weasley.
Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat as the room quieted. “I believe we are ready now. There is no need to delay further. Miss Weasley? Are you ready?”
Ginny looked up at her professor and nodded with determination. “Yes professor, I’m ready. Let’s go.”
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Author’s Note ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sorry to stop there for now. This chapter was getting a bit long…too long to start into the next phase of the story in the same chapter. I promise things will all become clear very soon.
Chapter 14: Chapter 14: The Power of the Amulet
Chapter 14 The Power of the AmuletTurning to climb the stairs, Ginny slowly made her way to her room followed by her family, Hermione, Dumbledore, and pretty much… a whole crowd of individuals. She felt like the subject of some new and interesting experiment, as the stares of dozens of eyes upon her gave her a burning sensation in the pit of her stomach. She turned to hug her mum who was smiling through her tears.
Mrs. Weasley could sense her daughter’s uneasiness and it pained her to see her emotions getting the better of her. Soothingly she spoke as she gathered her into a hug. “Now, it’s going to be alright dear. You promise me you’ll be careful, right?” She asked as she looked lovingly down at her youngest child. “Trust in Professor Dumbledore and it will be okay.” Ginny nodded as her mother added, “You find him, Ginny. You find Harry and you bring him home. We’ll be right here when you wake up.”
Again Ginny nodded silently. Her mother’s words had bolstered her resolve. Mum’s right, she thought. It will be alright. Harry needs me. I got him into this mess…I’m going to get him out of it. Slowly she climbed into bed feeling quite self-conscious again at the number of people looking on. “Er…professor? Do all of these people really need to watch this?”
Dumbledore smiled warmly and answered, “No, Miss Weasley. You’re right. Perhaps a little more privacy is in order.” With that, he motioned for the Order members to leave the room. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Hermione stayed. All of her brothers came to give a few words of encouragement before leaving quietly with the others. Ron was the last to exit. He came over and leaned down to kiss her on the top of the head. “I love you, Gin. Be careful.” He reached out and gave her hand a quick squeeze before turning to follow Charlie out of the room. As he crossed the room, he glanced knowingly at Hermione before entering the hall and closing the door behind him.
Ginny was lying in her bed with her thoughts racing. Before, she couldn’t wait to get to Harry, now she was feeling a bit nervous and tense. If only they could have done this straight away…all this waiting and planning had taken a piece of her courage. It was too much time. It was too much time to think about Riddle and his disgusting hands and tongue on her body. Helping Harry meant possibly doing some things that she wasn’t sure she could do, but she was determined to try. She loved Harry…she knew that for sure now. Anything was worth making him safe.
Pulling Ginny from her thoughts, Madame Pomfrey approached her with a small blue bottle of potion in hand. Ginny reached out a shaky hand to take the vial and slowly drank its contents. It burned going down her throat, but as she felt it sliding down she suddenly felt a rather strange but comfortable warmth fill her body. She was almost numb to the nervousness that had threatened to engulf her only seconds ago. In moments, Ginny felt the room begin to spin. Her body felt heavy and her head was swimming with images…a foggy swirl containing images of Harry and Riddle and the chamber of her nightmares. Odd though. She wasn’t at all alarmed as she logically thought to herself…I’m going to find Harry and he’s going to be fine. We’ll both be fine.
Slowly the misty curtain cleared and she found herself standing in a dimly torch lit passageway. She began to move through the corridor. This was the first time she had entered the chamber in this manner. Usually she entered the dream already bound to the stone table that she had come to dread for nearly a month. This time, things were different. She had back up. Although she couldn’t see Professor Dumbledore, she could sense him around her. The knowledge of his presence urged her on as she quickened her pace. As she turned the corner, a heavy wooden arched door came into view. There was a glow emanating from under the threshold that made her heart skip a beat. She was really going back in…Suddenly she felt a surge of panic. How would she do this? How would she keep things from going too far, but still keep Riddle occupied and interested?
Focusing herself and regaining control she approached the door and grasped the serpent that served as a handle. As the door slowly swung open she stepped into the warm glow of the room that had bathed her night after night. She looked around to find herself completely alone at the moment, but she knew it wouldn’t last. The portal across the room was already glowing with a hazy blue hue that gave her chills.
She moved further into the room as she tried to acquaint herself with her surroundings. This was a much different perspective than what she was used to in the chamber. She was searching for something that may give her an advantage when she heard a strange watery movement coming from across the room.
Her mouth fell open as she watched a leg erupting from the portal followed by Riddle’s entire body. He looked soaked and chilled, but instantly he began to dry in a billow of steam. He was wearing a smirk and was looking at her as if she was a starving man’s first meal.
“Well, well, well…I just knew you couldn’t get enough and that you’d be back for more.” He drawled as he licked his lips seductively and moved toward her fluidly.
She stood frozen to the spot as she fought off the urge to run. “Where’s Harry you bastard?”
Riddle stopped momentarily then continued to move in on her as his grin widened. “Information isn’t free, love. What will you give to have your precious Potter back? How about a little information about the Order?… or perhaps Dumbledore?”
“You’ve already got Harry! Do you really think that I’ll just hand everyone else over to you too?” She glared defiantly as she shot, “You can go straight to Hell ‘Tom’!”
He cringed at the sound of his name. She knew what would happen if she continued to bait him, but she didn’t care at this point…It was buying them time. “Tell me where Harry is right now! I’m not giving you anything until I see him…not until I know he’s okay!”
With a smirk he began to circle her like a shark. “Oh, little Ginny…you see, that’s where you’re wrong. You don’t have a choice here.” With that he raised his wand and yelled “Crucio!”
Ginny felt the curse hit her instantly. She crumpled to the floor as a wave of intense, searing pain washed over her. Riddle lifted the curse and watched her moaning on the floor clutching her aching body. “You see? This is not ‘your call’ Miss Weasley.”
With a grin he approached her grabbing her roughly by the arm and pulling her to her feet. He looked directly into her eyes and moved within inches of her. In a low, threatening voice he spoke “You may not remember, but you were quite reasonable under the Crutiatus curse.” Narrowing his eyes, his gaze was piercing as he continued, “Oh, I’ll admit, you took a little…‘convincing’, but in the end…you did tell me Potter was coming after all. I believe in time…you could be very informative indeed.”
Looking up and down her body he added, “What’s even more enticing… was how incredibly passionate you were under the Imperious Curse. You, my dear, are in very serious need of a man’s touch.” He paused watching her face. He relished her expression of denial as he continued. “I felt your heat. Don’t even try to tell me that you’re not ready to ‘have your flower plucked’, when it’s so obvious that you are completely… raging with need.”
He grabbed her face roughly then growled, “There’s no denying it, the desire that came from your body was definitely that of a young woman wanting desperately to be ravaged.” He forced her gaze up to his and added, “Not to worry, I’m up for the task…even if you are a Weasley.”
He took his wand and placed it at her throat, pushing it hard against her skin, so much so that her breathing was becoming difficult under the pressure. Keeping his eyes fixed on her expression, he slid his other arm around her, pulling her body roughly against his.
He was enjoying the slow torture he was inflicting upon her, as he decided to push it to the next level. “Who am I to refuse a virgin…especially one with your fire?” He licked his lips impulsively as he moved his free hand wantonly and slowly over her body, keeping his wand trained on her exposed throat.
Ginny watched helplessly as lust began to fill his dark and hollow eyes. He leaned in closely to her ear and breathed, “I can’t wait to feel your innocence tear away as I take you tonight.”
As he nipped at her ear and neck and began to lathe his tongue over her, tears began to form in her eyes, but she refused to cry out. She refused to struggle because she knew it would only make Riddle more aroused. She tried to focus on Harry. With everything that was in her, she was crying out to him in her mind.
Little did she know that Harry was watching the entire scene as it unfolded…He was watching and his blood was beginning to boil with the rage of a territorial animal wanting to attack.
Harry had been sitting on the floor in the room that had held him for what felt like hours, when a strange thing began to happen. When Ginny entered the chamber, the mirror above the fireplace had changed. It was no longer an ordinary mirror, but a window to her experience. He now knew why Riddle hadn’t killed him. He now knew why Riddle had wanted him to wake up coherent and completely aware of his surroundings. He wasn’t going to torture him with curses…not yet at least. The bloody, son of a bitch was going to torture and rape Ginny… and the bastard was going to make him watch.
Harry was raging as he watched Riddle grab her and rake his hand over her body. He wanted to kill him…He wanted to make him suffer for touching Ginny. He listened helplessly as Riddle told her what he intended to do to her body in disgustingly graphic detail. Harry’s emotions were so intense. His hatred of Riddle and his love and fear for Ginny were swallowing him… he was losing control. He felt his feelings for Ginny surging through him and he desperately needed to help her…he had to get to her!
Dumbledore felt helpless as he watched the scene from his vantage point in Ginny’s subconscious. He was unable to intervene. They had to find Harry first. He tried to use his mind to calm her, but he could feel the tension as it wracked her body. He tried to keep his expression smooth and unrevealing so that Mrs. Weasley wouldn’t become alarmed. If she could see what he could see…well, it would serve no one’s purpose to add a frantic mother to the list of his other concerns. He knew that they couldn’t wait any longer for Harry to appear. They would need to go in and find him. He glanced quickly at Ron, who had returned after Ginny had gone under, and nodded to him discreetly.
Quietly Ron excused himself from the room. He went directly to his brothers who were waiting expectantly in Fred and George’s room. He quickly entered, closed the door with a snap and shielded the room. “It’s time.” His five brothers all jumped up from their seats at the sound of Ron’s voice.
Gradually, they each exited the room in turn. Fred and George went first, who disapparated immediately. Percy was the next to go as he headed down the stairs to the lounge. Ron and Bill headed to Harry’s room and Charlie turned to enter Ginny’s room. Finally, they were all in place.
“Let the games begin.” George ground out as he and Fred set their diversion in motion and apparated back to their room.
Percy made his way through the group of wizards milling around the lounge. He was waiting for the inevitable chaos that was about to ensue.
Charlie entered Ginny’s room and signaled Dumbledore that things were under way. With that, Dumbledore concentrated very hard on shielding Ginny’s mind from the pain she was enduring. “Just a little longer, Ginny…it will all be over soon” he told her.
Ron and Bill found Professor McGonagall on guard duty in Harry’s room. Madame Pomfrey had been in briefly to check on Harry’s condition. There was absolutely no change, other than the fact that his heartbeat was pounding fiercely and sweat was rolling off his body.
Just after Madame Pomfrey left the room, a huge bang and the sound of numerous explosions erupted in the front garden. McGonagall jumped to her feet in alarm. Bill quickly took her arm and looked down at her apologetically before he said, “I’m really very sorry about this Minerva.”
There had been no time to explain. She looked up in confusion as Bill stunned her and laid her gently on the floor. Ron looked at him and then at his professor, now lying unconscious on the floor. Suddenly he was quite glad that it was Bill’s job to stun her and not his. After all, he still had his 7th year to survive at Hogwarts. She was going to be completely hacked off over this when she woke up.
Bill withdrew the amulet from his pocket and slid it around Harry’s neck. Suddenly Hermione burst into the room, causing both Ron and Bill to jump and draw their wands on her. Completely unaware of the fact that she was almost stunned, she ran to Ron and grabbed a fistful of his shirt in her hand pulling him down to her roughly. “Everyone is in a panic…go quickly…and be careful!” With that she pulled him to her and kissed him hard on the mouth and ran back out of the room locking it behind her.
Bill looked at his youngest brother with a grin of pride and a raised eyebrow. “Plan B then?”
Ron glared at him, “Oh, shut up Bill! You can wind me up later. You heard her… we don’t have much time!”
“On three then…1...2…3” Simultaneously they touched their wand tips to the deep green amulet around Harry’s neck. The dull glow inside the stone began to grow to a white-hot light. Their wand tips began to tremble as the power of the amulet surged up the shafts of their wands and into their bodies. Ron felt his body crumbling as he hit the floor hard. In the next second everything went black.
Harry felt a strange surge of power around him as his fury was building. He watched as Riddle ripped Ginny’s shirt and tore it from her body. She had lost all pretense of remaining stoic under his grasp, as she cried out begging for him to stop.
Harry ran at the door feeling his shoulder buckle as he rammed into it. He stepped back and focused all of his energy and fury on the door that separated him from her. In seconds, the door began to creak and rumble. It was shaking at its very hinges. Seconds later the door virtually exploded as pieces of wood and metal ruptured into the waiting corridor beyond. He burst through the threshold and began running down the corridor that lead away from his prison. As he turned a corner another door came into view. He recognized it immediately. It led to the chamber that he had entered into from the portal.
As he came closer, he suddenly saw a shadowy figure standing in his path. It was very large and blocking the way. It seemed to appear out of nowhere. Without a second thought he rushed at the mass of shadows and tackled it. His mind was racing with what he would do. He had no wand, no light, and no idea what or whom he was facing. Then suddenly, he heard a voice. It was a very familiar, but angry voice. “Fuck Harry! Get off! We’re here to help you!” It was Ron.
“Ron?” Harry asked. “Yeah, it’s me. What did you have to go and tackle us for?”
Harry rolled off and realized that it wasn’t one person, but two. “Sorry, I thought you were Riddle. Wait… did you say us? …Bill? Is that you? How…how the hell did you two get in here?”
Bill answered as he rubbed his aching ribs gingerly. “We don’t have time to explain right now. We’re here, that’s what’s important! Now, how do we get to Ginny?”
Harry snapped out of his shock as he quickly moved passed them and shoved open the door to the room that served as Riddle’s lounge. “It’s through here! Come on!”
They followed him and stopped only momentarily to take in the room. “Bloody hell! What is this place? It looks a bit like… Malfoy Manor!” Bill said.
“It may as well be…its Riddle’s. Let’s go…it’s over here. Oh, wait…Accio wand!” A drawer shot open violently and Harry’s wand zoomed to him from the cabinet across the room.
He then turned and sprinted across the room with them following behind. They stopped in front of the portal looking a bit uneasy. “You have to trust me…just step through. It’s the only way out!” With that Harry climbed into the portal disappearing from their view. A rush of icy cold liquid washed over him, penetrating his body completely. Next he felt a wave of nausea take him as his body began to rocket upwards through the thick liquid.
He burst through the portal at the other side gasping for air as he lunged on an unsuspecting Riddle who had Ginny pinned to the floor beneath him. Harry hadn’t even raised his wand yet. That would be too easy on Riddle. He was going to beat the bloody hell out of him first. Even if Riddle was only an image in a dream, in that moment, Harry was going to become his worst nightmare. He was going to make him suffer for every horrible, disgusting thing he had said and done to her.
Ginny lay curled up sobbing and half-naked on the floor as Bill and Ron came through the portal seconds later. Ron ran to Ginny’s side covering her with his robes and gathered her into his arms.
“Sshhh…it’s okay now love. We’re here. He’s not going to touch you again. We promise.” She sunk into her brother’s chest and she felt his arms envelop her.
After a few seconds, she remembered her mission, “Harry? I have to help Harry!”
Ron helped her to stand, but continued to hold her back from the battle now raging on the other side of the chamber as he growled, “No Ginny! You have to get out of here! You’re going right now!” He helped her to the door and pushed her out into the corridor, “Run Ginny…NOW!”
With that he turned and went to join Harry and Bill. Harry was no longer pummeling Riddle on the floor. Instead they were throwing curses at each other. Bill and Harry had been backing him up towards the portal as Ron joined them with his wand at the ready.
However, Riddle’s power was unbelievable! He was actually holding all three of them off. He wasn’t advancing on them, but he had stopped their advance on him. He was standing before the portal looking smug and bragging about the things he had done to Ginny.
Suddenly out of nowhere Ginny came barreling at him. Using the momentum of her body, she shoved him into the portal and dove to the side. “Do it now! Destroy it!”
Bill quickly reached over and closed his fist around the amulet that hung from Harry’s neck…ripping it violently and breaking the chain. Harry hadn’t even noticed that it had appeared there in his rage. Bill pulled back and flung the stone into the portal.
“What the hell was that?” Harry asked rubbing the skin where the chain had burned him as Bill tore it from his neck.
Ron shot, “It’s the reason we’re here!”
Ignoring Harry’s further inquiries, Bill yelled. “Now Ron! Now!” They both hit the portal with a spell that Harry had never heard before. The amulet that Bill had chucked into it glowed with a fiery white light. Instead of passing through the portal it hung suspended within its surface. Riddle’s face appeared behind the watery curtain of the portal’s surface, but he appeared unable to pass through. The amulet’s power was forming a barrier between them. They could see Riddle raging and pounding his fists against the interior of the portal. As the surface began to ripple and wave, Riddle’s image seemed to ripple with it. In the next second, the portal burst violently into millions of tiny droplets of blue liquid. Instantly they froze in mid air and then disappeared into nothingness. The portal had vanished and left a scorched halo of blackness where it had hung. It was gone…closed forever along with Riddle’s ability to haunt Ginny’s… or anyone else’s dreams, ever again.
Recovering from the shock of what Bill and Ron had just done Harry thrust his wand into his robes and ran to Ginny who was still crumpled on the floor. “Oh God, Ginny…Are you alright? Did he…What did he do to you?” A mixture of panic and sadness filled his voice.
She looked up weakly and softly cried out his name as she flung arms around his neck and allowed him to lift her gently and cradle her against him. She didn’t answer his question but instead, buried her face in his shoulder as she clung to him. She kept saying “You’re here…you’re safe.”
Even after what she had been through, she was still worried about him. He held her tight as he whispered, “Oh God Ginny…I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through. I promise you. He’ll never hurt you again…I’ll see to it.”
There were tears forming in his eyes as he looked at her brothers in desperation. It was as if he was looking for some sense of compassion in their eyes for what he felt. He had an overwhelming surge of guilt take over him…this was his fault. Because she cared for him, she was hurt…maybe beyond recovery. Harry knew they didn’t blame him, but he still felt as though he needed to ask their forgiveness for just… just being alive. If he no longer existed, there wouldn’t be any reason for Riddle… or any other dark wizard… to harm the people he loved any longer.
Ron and Bill stood frozen as they watched him holding their sister in his arms. Ron had seen that look before. He recognized guilt and misery when he saw it on his best mate’s face. Sensing Harry’s conflict of emotions Ron broke the deafening silence in the chamber. “This isn’t your fault…you know that don’t you? We’ve got her now, Harry. She’s going to be okay. We need to wake up…all of us. We need to get her out of this nightmare.” In the next breath, Harry felt her body go limp against him. “Let’s…let’s go. It’s this way.” Harry said his voice cracking slightly.
With a nod from Bill and Ron they made their way out of the chamber and through the passageways to the door at the end of the tunnel. Bill and Ron went through first. Feeling her stir against him, he glanced down at her tear-stained face. His heart was breaking as he leaned down and kissed her forehead warmly. He paused briefly with his lips pressed lightly against her skin, savoring how it felt to hold her, safely in his arms. When he broke away from her he felt a renewed strength. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward passing through the doorway and carrying Ginny through with him into the light of day.
In an instant, he gasped for air as he sat upright in his bed. Light glared in his eyes as he suddenly realized he was back…he was home.
Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Out of the Darkness
Chapter 15 Out of the DarknessAs Harry began to wake up, the first thing he sensed was the literal buzz of activity going on around him. Loud voices, banging doors and hurried footsteps seemed to be completely encircling him.
He struggled to open his eyes and fight off the wave of sleepiness that was threatening to pull him under again. It felt a bit like coming out of a tunnel of darkness into the bright light of day.
The seconds ticked by, as he became increasingly more lucid. Unfortunately, the more awake he was, the more aware he became that his entire body felt as though he had just taken a rather nasty fall from his broom. Among the sharpest of his pains, was the throbbing sensation coming from his cheekbone. He slowly reached up to gingerly touch the stinging spot on his face when he realized that he was cut and had obviously been bleeding. Everything came flooding back as he remembered Riddle’s searing curse. The gash in his dream had carried through to his physical body. What else had carried over? “Ginny?” he mumbled in a confused tone.
He could hear muffled voices coming in clearer. They were all around him now. “He’s waking up. Albus! Remus! Go and fetch Poppy! She needs to see to the boy!” That voice was very familiar. “Who was it?” Harry wondered. “Was that Professor McGonagall? What was she doing here?”
Groggy and a bit confused, he forced his eyes to open as he squinted against the sudden intrusion of light. At first he thought someone had removed his glasses, but as he blinked Bill and Ron came into view on either side of his bed. They seemed to have been heaving themselves up off the floor and looking a bit pained in their movements as well.
“Ron? Wha…what happened? How did you get into Ginny’s dream, or were you in my dream? I don’t understand. How did you know how to find me?” Harry asked a little bleary-eyed.
“When you didn’t come out of the dream with Ginny, she called in a bit of ‘backup’.” Ron said with a weak smile. “The original plan called for Dumbledore to go in through Ginny’s mind to help,” nodding towards Bill he added, “but we came up with a plan of our own with a bit of a Weasley twist.” Ron said with a grin. “How are you? Do you think you can sit up?”
“Yeah, I think I’m okay, just a bit sore.” Lifting himself to a sitting position and leaning against the headboard he then added, “Wait, original plan? I don’t understand. Ginny said that no one else knew about her dream and that that was the way she wanted it. I believe I’ve missed something here.” Harry added looking rather perplexed.
Ron looked at Bill and then continued. “Well, no one did know until last night. Ginny went into a right state when you wouldn’t wake up. She practically threw Fred through the wall - in his words - trying to get to you. Fred and George thought she’d shake you senseless trying to wake you up. I think they had to slap her to bring her out of it enough to even get her to tell them what happened. After that Fred and George summoned the Order. Hermione and I arrived shortly after all of them.” Ron finished.
“All of…all of whom Ron? What are you talking about?” But Ron really didn’t need to answer that because as Harry began to look around the room he realized there were at least a half dozen or more other people standing over him. Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, and Fred and George were among them, all wearing varying degrees of concern on their faces.
Harry suddenly felt very self-conscious under their silent stares; especially as it dawned on him that all he was wearing was a pair of boxers. Glancing down quickly he felt a little relieved to note that he had managed to stay covered through his ordeal. From the tangle of bedding, he could tell he’d been doing a good bit of thrashing about in the dream. It was amazing that he hadn’t fallen out of bed altogether. He also noticed he was wearing an odd, glowing, green stone suspended from a gold chain. He was about to ask about it when the door flew open catching his attention.
In the next moment Madame Pomfrey came bustling into the room in a flourish of robes. Professor Lupin trailed behind her with a tray in hand. “Mr. Potter! What were you thinking!” the nurse began, but was cut off by Professor Dumbledore.
“I believe that young Harry’s been through enough over the last several hours, Poppy. Perhaps we should leave it at that for now and just see to his injuries.” He stated calmly and evenly.
She looked at the headmaster for a second, apparently trying to weigh her decision. With a huff she grabbed two of the vials from the tray Lupin was holding and shoved them at Harry. “Here, drink them down.”
Harry did as he was told. The first seemed to revive him a bit. He began to feel more awake and alert. The second potion seemed to ease the pain in his aching body. Madame Pomfrey then took her wand and healed the gash on his face with a swish.
The sound of numerous voices could be heard coming from the hall. He recognized Mrs. Weasley’s voice pleading with someone to go back to bed just as the door to his room burst open again and Ginny came rushing into the room. She quickly crossed the room and stopped dead at Harry’s bedside. She was breathing heavily and she looked as white as a sheet.
Silence seemed to fall over the room as their eyes locked on one another. Harry wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull her to him. If not for the many on-lookers he may have done so. Instead he quietly spoke, “Are you okay?” She slowly nodded her head as tears began to pool in her eyes. “You?” she asked.
“I’m fine, Gin. Everything’s okay now. He can’t hurt you anymore, not through your dreams anyway.” He saw her body shudder and could tell that she was fighting desperately to remain in control.
“Er…Mrs. Weasley? Would it be okay if I talked to Ginny alone, I mean. It would only be for a minute?” Harry asked a bit nervously, still extremely aware he was in his boxers.
Ron and Bill looked at each other knowingly. They had seen the way he looked at her in the chamber. They knew he needed time to make peace with his demons. With a nod to each other they began to move towards the door taking Fred and George with them.
For her part, Mrs. Weasley looked a bit unsure of how to respond when Mr. Weasley began ushering everyone else out of the room. Having cleared the room he came to his wife and gently coaxed her to follow. She held her ground as her gaze moved slowly from Ginny to Harry and back again. Her daughter’s words from earlier were blazing in her head. This young man had her daughter’s heart. Now he wanted to be alone with her while he was practically naked in his bed and she was extremely vulnerable. It wasn’t so much Harry she didn’t trust, but Ginny’s ability to think rationally that actually concerned her.
“Come on Molly, dear. They need a minute. It will be fine. She’s safe now.” He said reassuring his wife as he led her from the room and closed the door quietly behind them.
When they were alone Harry held out his hand to her. “Ginny, I…” Before he could get out his sentence she had flung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. He felt her shaking and he could feel her warm tears running down his body as she let go of her emotions. Wrapping his arms around her he pulled her closer to him, holding her tightly. He stroked her hair softly as he held her, whispering comforting assurances to her that it was indeed over. After a few minutes, he felt her relax as the stress began to leave her body and her tears began to subside under his touch.
When she finally spoke, it just about broke his heart. “Harry, I was so worried. I was afraid that you’d never wake up. This was entirely my fault. I couldn’t stand it if…”
“If what?” Harry asked.
She pulled back to look directly into his eyes. His throat was constricting under the intensity of her expression. Quietly she answered, “If I lost you.” She shuddered slightly at the words as she spoke.
Harry swallowed before pulling her back to him whispering, “Shhh, its okay now Gin. This was not your fault. Riddle’s a bastard. He’s the one to blame. Besides, no one is losing anyone. I’m right here. We’re both okay now. See?” He took her hand and slowly brushed it over his chest, as if to prove to her he was real. “I’m perfectly safe and sound.”
After a few more minutes, he drew back so he could look at her. She was wearing her nightdress and a dressing gown and her hair was draping loosely over her shoulders. Her hand was still resting gently against his bare chest. She looked fragile and so beautiful. He just wanted to make it better. He just wanted to lean down and touch her lips with his, kissing away her fears and uncertainty, but he just couldn’t. Not now, after everything that had happened to her because of him. It would selfish of him and completely unfair to her. He took in a steadying breath as he asked, “What can I do Ginny? Just tell me what you need. I’ll do anything. I only want to help.”
She whispered, “You’re doing it right now. Just be near me.”
He smiled down at her. He felt closer to her than he had ever felt to any girl, other than perhaps Hermione. He gently brushed a lingering tear from her cheek and pulled her into his arms again. As he held her though, he remembered the cut on his face. A horrible thought raced through his mind. What if Riddle was able to hurt her physically too? He had to know. He couldn’t stand wondering if they were too late.
Clearing his throat nervously he asked, “Ginny, I need to know. Are you really okay? Did he… Did we stop him in time?”
With a shudder she nodded, “He didn’t. You tackled him before he could.” A bit of a smile began to light her face as she heard him let out a small sigh. It was as though he had been holding his breath in wait of her answer.
“You and my brothers saved me. You’re my hero, again. Coming to my rescue has gotten to be a bit of a habit with you hasn’t it?” She added with a bit of a shy smile. “I’m sorry that I seem to have a penchant for getting into situations that require it. I don’t know how to thank you Harry.” She said.
“You don’t have to thank…” but he stopped mid sentence as he watched her moving. She was curled up on the bed next to him with her legs folded under her. He was becoming increasingly aware of how close she was as he watched her expectantly completely forgetting what he was about to say.
Slowly, she slid her free hand into his and pulled it to her lips. As she held his gaze she kissed his palm warmly. Pulling his hand up to her cheek, she then stroked it gently against her face as her eyes slid closed. His heart began to race as her body began to shift forward. She was coming closer. The spot on his skin where her hand rested against his bare chest seemed to burn with the trembling of her fingers. She had a look on her face that told him she wanted more than to just ‘be near him’.
The warmth from her lips seemed to radiate from his hand into the rest of his body. Her eyes opened again and Harry couldn’t help but melt under her stare. With his breath hitching in his chest, his eyes instinctively dropped to her mouth. She was biting her bottom lip nervously. ‘God she’s trying to drive me mad. How am I supposed to resist her when she’s doing that?’ he thought as he felt another part of his body begin to heat up in response to her. Had Riddle been telling the truth? Did Ginny want him as much as he wanted her?
“I can’t do this. It just wouldn’t be right. She’s upset and…why does she have to be so incredibly beautiful.” All the while that he was struggling internally about what was right, she was slowly closing the space between them.
She was inches from him when he decided he had no choice but to let things play out and see where it took them. He gently slid his hand down from her cheek and rested it upon her neck. He could feel her pulse quicken and her body shudder as he grazed his thumb back and forth tenderly over her soft skin. Driven by her reactions, he slowly moved his other hand to her waist then eased it around to rest against the small of her back as she leaned against him. His heart was pounding fiercely and he wanted nothing more than to devour her inch by inch as the fantasies from his imagination seemed to be playing out right before his eyes causing a wave of slow, painful, erotic pleasure to wash over him.
Just as he was fully giving in to the moment, there was a knock at the door. Ginny moved off the bed quickly with a start and stood next to him as they listened in silence. Harry’s heart jumped as he cursed silently to himself about the untimely interruption.
“Harry? Can we come in? It’s Hermione.” Came the familiar voice of his friend.
He looked at Ginny who was looking a bit pink in the cheeks and staring fixedly at the floor avoiding his eyes. He sighed slowly, then clearing his throat and getting a hold of his senses he answered, “Yeah, of course, come in.”
Hermione opened the door and stood just inside the room for a second. Harry looked at her warmly as he said, “I’m okay Hermione, really. Come here.” He held out his hand to her as she moved into the room followed by Ron.
She was looking tired and a bit stressed as she moved deliberately to his side opposite Ginny. She leaned down to kiss his cheek as she asked. “Tell me, how many times are you going to do this to us, you prat?” She said with a mock tone of annoyance. She slid her hand into his as she squeezed it gently. With a grin beginning to cross her face she added, “You know, you can be a bit of a pain in the arse.”
Smiling at her he answered a bit cheekily, “Yeah, I know, but you still love me.”
Feigning irritation she responded, “Yes, well, I suppose we have no choice.”
Then more seriously she added, “You know I’m happy you’re alright, you and Ginny both.” She added with a smile at Ginny. “We’re so sorry for everything you’ve been through Gin. We wish we’d have known sooner.” Ginny smiled in return as Hermione refocused on Harry; “It’s so good to see you awake now Harry. We’ve all been so worried. You are alright aren’t you? Is there anything we can do for you?”
Releasing Harry’s hand she stood up as if she were giving him a full appraisal and looking for signs of distress. Quietly, Ron moved closer to her and gently reassured her, “Calm down Hermione. You heard him. He’s okay. Don’t fuss over him. You know how he hates it.”
“Er…excuse me, but I am sitting right here.” Harry said a bit aggravated at the fact they were discussing him as if he weren’t.
Sensing Harry’s irritation, in an attempt to lighten the mood a bit Ron added, “I’m the one you should be worried about you know. I was the one he tackled in there. You should see the bruises on my ribs.” He said with an exaggerated grimace clutching his side.
“Oh Ron, don’t be such a baby.” She added teasing him.
“But, you’ll heal them later won’t you?” He asked waggling his eyebrows a bit suggestively at her. Grinning, he slid his arms around her waist pulling her close and leaned down to kiss her temple. Harry watched as she melted into him and relaxed. He had just taken her in his arms and he had done it with such ease that it gave Harry a bit of a start. “Er…exactly how long have I been out?’ He asked with a friendly smirk on his face.
Mumbling a bit, Ron answered, “Um…Hermione and I have had a bit of a talk.”
Harry smiled mischievously at his mate as he answered, “That must have been some ‘talk’ Ron.”
“Er…Yeah, we…um…well, she’s agreed to go out with me.”
Ginny and Harry looked at each other and both broke into rather knowing grins. “Well, it’s about time. Don’t you think so Ginny?”
“Yeah, I’ll say. I wondered how long they were going to keep fighting with each other to cut the tension between them.” Then turning her attention to her brother she asked, “So, you finally just hauled off and snogged her then, did you?”
Harry couldn’t help but laugh at her brashness. Ginny had obviously grown up with 6 brothers Harry thought to himself. It was clear that all pretenses of discretion were out of the question, much to a blushing Hermione’s dismay.
“Shut up, Ginny!” Ron yelled.
“So then, that’s a yes?” Harry added with a chuckle.
“Oh, don’t help her, you git!” Ron shot at Harry who responded,
“Something tells me, she won’t need my help to wind you up.”
“Fine! We’re in love with each other! Is that what you wanted to hear?” Ron shot at them both.
After about two seconds of stunned silence, Harry and Ginny shot back together. “WHAT?!”
Then collecting himself and noting the unwavering expressions on his best friends’ faces Harry asked, “Are you serious? You are, aren’t you? When did this happen? And why wasn’t I in the loop?” Harry asked with a grin.
“Well, we only just figured it out for sure ourselves last night. You were asleep at the time, but we’re telling you now. You and Ginny are the first to know actually.” Hermione answered, turning a deeper shade of red at Ron’s sudden admission of his love for her to Harry and Ginny.
After a few seconds of stunned silence Harry answered, “Wow! That’s just…wow! It’s great! I’m happy for you two. Really, it’s wonderful.”
“Thanks Harry. Your support means a lot to us. We weren’t sure how you’d feel about it.” Hermione said smiling a bit more confidently.
“So…um…”Harry was casting around for discussion points when he remembered the necklace he was wearing. “Tell me what exactly did happen and what is this thing around my neck?” He asked grasping the amulet in his hand and feeling a small amount of warmth radiating from within it.
“I’d like to know as well. No one told me that you and Bill would be coming too. I may have felt better knowing that if they had.” Ginny said.
“Sorry Gin, there wasn’t time, but I can fill you both in now.” Ron answered apologetically.
Ginny sat back down on the edge of the bed next to Harry and Ron began to tell them the whole story. He told them all about their frustration as everyone milled around waiting and how they had decided that it just wasn’t going to work. He told them about Bill’s plan and their mission to the Department of Mysteries to retrieve the amulet.
As Ron explained the origin of the Egyptian amulet, Harry just looked back in silence. When he was finished Harry finally responded.
“So let me get this straight. This ‘amulet thingy’ is centuries old and its use is restricted?”
“Uh huh.” Ron answered flatly.
“Dumbledore wasn’t even aware of its existence, but your brother’s broke into the Department of Mysteries to steal it so you could come and help me?”
With a matter-of-fact expression Ron answered, “Yeah, that about sums it up.”
“Well, how exactly does it work?” Harry asked.
“The legend, which obviously now we know is true, says the mind of the person who wears the amulet becomes a portal if you will. When Bill and I touched it with our wands, it basically pulled us into your subconscious, but it’s more than that. Our physical bodies can be affected as well while we’re under its power. That’s why it’s a bit risky to use it, barring the fact of course that they had to knick it from the Ministry as well.”
“Anyway, when the amulet took hold of us, it transported us to where you were in the dream world. Our actually bodies were still here on the floor, but no one could have woken us up if they had tried, not even with an enervation charm.”
“Once we were in there and Riddle was trapped, Bill threw the dream version of the amulet into the portal that contained him. The spell we cast was one that basically reverses the force of the amulet. In essence, it closes the subconscious pathways instead of opening them like it did for Bill and me. The only reason we even knew about it was because Bill had researched it after he recovered the amulet from a tomb in Egypt on one of their missions there. Quite a lucky coincidence when you think about it. Anyway, it basically closes one’s subconscious to the dreamer indefinitely we believe. In short, we’ve effectively locked Riddle out of any further access to Ginny in that manner ever again. The actual physical amulet, as you can see, is still here.”
“That’s amazing…How did you ever get your mum to agree to that? I mean, stealing from the Ministry sounds like a Mundungus Fletcher sort of thing to do. We all know how much your mum ‘loves’ him. It doesn’t exactly sound like something she’d go for does it?” Harry asked stunned.
“Well, she didn’t actually agree. We kind of had to do it on the sly. Fred and George took the worst of it I’m afraid while Bill and I were still with you. By the time it was over, Dumbledore had explained everything to her and she was just glad everyone was okay. It’s McGonagall that I’m really worried about.” Ron said looking off in the distance.
“Why would you worry about Professor McGonagall and not your mum?” Harry questioned.
“Well, there really wasn’t time to explain everything. Bill sort of had to stun her.”
Ron answered looking a bit ill.
“How do you, ‘SORT OF’ stun someone?” Harry shot back with a smirk.
“Well, apparently, you don’t. It was pretty much a full-fledged stunning and she was more than a little ticked off when they bought her out of it. Bill’s in the clear of course. He can just avoid her for awhile, but I’ve got 7th year to finish! I could have sworn I heard her grumbling about summer transfiguration projects downstairs just now! I’m bloody doomed!”
Harry couldn’t help but grin a little and Ron’s predicament. “You never know maybe she’ll cool off and just forget about it.” He offered.
“Yeah, fat chance of that happening. This is McGonagall we’re talking about mate. She’s not going to just forget. If she could take house points over the summer holidays, Gryffindor would be in the negative numbers right now I’d bet.” Ron said with a grumble.
“I don’t know Ron; it was for a good cause. Even she’ll have to admit that. What you and Bill did was absolutely necessary in the moment. And Bill did apologize before stunning her. It simply couldn’t be helped.” Hermione reassured him.
Still unconvinced he answered, “Well, if she doesn’t see to reason, you and Harry get to help me with whatever it is she decides to assign, right?” Ron looked pleadingly at Hermione who for once wasn’t protesting as she nodded and smiled up at him warmly.
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione. He was amazed at how comfortable they seemed with one another as he watched them whisper and smile at each other. It was like they’d been together all along, which in some ways Harry thought perhaps they had been. He then looked at Ginny who he found had been watching him. She smiled when she caught his gaze. Slowly she slid her hand over brushing it delicately against his skin. Her hand was at his side and hidden from Ron and Hermione’s view. That slight, subtle touch sent his heart reeling as he swallowed hard trying to keep his feelings in check. Her touch was like a secret; exciting, private, and a little unexpected.
In the next moment, the spell was broken as the door opened again and Mrs. Weasley came scurrying into the room to check on the progress of their ‘conversation’. Ron and Hermione practically jumped apart as the door opened and Harry couldn’t help but grin at them for it. Ginny hadn’t bothered to jump from the bed this time, which he found a bit curious. However, she did move her hand back to her lap discreetly. Harry also noted Mrs. Weasley had not bothered to knock or give any warning of her presence prior to entering. Was she trying to see how trust worthy he was with her daughter or was it just his imagination getting the better of him. Surely she had no idea how he felt about Ginny. How could she?
Looking at her youngest son and Hermione she said, “Alright you two, Harry needs to get up and get dressed. I’m sure he could do with a shower and a spot of something to eat. Ginny, you too; off you go. You need to get dressed.” Just then she seemed to notice something odd about Ron and Hermione. She looked at them again, a bit too long Ron surmised, and then added as an afterthought, “You two can actually just come with me. You can help me in the kitchen. There are a lot of hungry people down there.”
Ron tried to protest, but she was having none of that, as she ushered Ron, Hermione and Ginny out the door in front of her. “Oh and Harry dear, take your time. When you’re feeling up to it, just join us in the kitchen.”
“Thanks Mrs. Weasley. I am a bit hungry. I’ll be down soon.” Harry answered.
Harry watched as Ginny walked away. Even through her dressing gown, it was easy to see she had definitely ‘grown up’. Sighing deeply, he began to think that his plan to ‘stay away’ from Ginny this summer was going to be much harder than he thought.
Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Out of Tea
16 Out of TeaThe next few days passed by rather quickly as a number of people continued flowing in and out of headquarters, keeping things a bit on the hectic side. After a week or so, the traffic seemed to begin tapering off. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny gradually found themselves with more and more quiet time together as things seemed to return to normal; well, as normal as things ever got around Order headquarters anyway.
The four of them were spending a good bit of time in the lounge playing chess or up in what had once served as Buckbeak’s room playing Exploding Snap with Fred and George. Harry was finally beginning to enjoy the summer holidays as were Ron and Hermione, incidentally.
Harry had to admit, they seemed perfect for each other now that the tension between them was ‘being alleviated’ on a regular basis. Harry and Ginny couldn’t help but notice that they didn’t argue nearly as frequently. It wasn’t so much that they didn’t have disagreements about things, because they did, almost on a daily. What had changed was that it just didn’t seem to be nearly as important to either of them to actually win the battles. There was a lot more compromising going on between them and a lot less angry silences.
Harry suspected that at least for Ron’s part, he was looking to keep his snogging rights safely in tact; rights that Ron was only too happy to lay claim to at any given opportunity if one should arise. They were careful to remain discreet, however, stealing kisses in deserted hallways and the like. Ron’s fear was that if his mum was fully aware of the fact that they had taken things beyond friendship, that they’d never have a moment’s peace together. He wasn’t even sure if his mother would approve of Hermione staying with them at all if she knew about their secret rendezvous’ but he figured chances were, probably not.
In spite of their attempts at discretion, much to his dismay, Harry had caught them at it more than once. It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy for them because he was, but it was a bit like watching your best mate snog your sister, not exactly a spectator sport Harry relished being in the stands to see.
At times it was almost a bit unsettling to see them so agreeable; it just wasn’t natural, not for them at least. Harry half expected one or both of them to snap at some point, but so far, nothing seemed to be able to burst their bubble of happiness.
All in all, things were good at Grimmauld Place.
Harry had even managed to avoid any compromising situations with Ginny. He was feeling proud to have stuck to his plan of keeping things on a strictly ‘friendly’ basis between them. They had gone back to joking around and having fun together. She never brought up their ‘almost kiss’ and he certainly wasn’t going to. He knew it would be better for Ginny this way. Being with him would be a risk; one that he simply wasn’t willing to let her take.
‘Maybe this isn’t going to be as tough as I imagined spending the rest of the summer here together.’ He thought one afternoon as he watched Hermione and Ginny giggling together over their teacups in the kitchen.
“Friends, yes, this could definitely work. And, I won’t place Ginny in any unnecessary danger this way.” He thought to himself with a smile. Leaving the girls to their giggling, Harry left to go find Ron. He was hoping he might feel like a bit of flying.
That was all well and good, until they ran out of tea.
Shortly after Harry disappeared into the next room, Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen and was about to fix herself of cup when Ginny apologized, “Sorry mum. I think we used the last of the tea.”
“Oh that’s alright dear. I need to go into Diagon Alley for some other necessities anyway. We’re almost out of floo powder as well. Would you girls care to join me? We could have lunch and make it a bit of an outing.” Mrs. Weasley suggested with a smile.
“Oh, thanks very much Mrs. Weasley, but I need to owl my parents. I haven’t written in over a week and I’m sure they are beginning to wonder. Maybe we could go another day?” Hermione asked politely.
“Mum would you mind if I bowed out as well? I think I’ll stick around here and keep Hermione company. After she’s done with her letter I thought we could walk down to the river or something since it’s such a beautiful day.” Ginny answered.
Mrs. Weasley looked a bit disappointed, but chalked it up to teenage girls doing teenage girls things. They needed their time too. They spent so much time with Ron and Harry that they had very little time to just chat.
“That’s fine girls. We’ll do it another day.” She added with a smile. “I’ll be back in a few hours. Perhaps I’ll meet your father for lunch instead while I’m out. Try to keep those boys out of trouble while I’m gone, would you? Enjoy your walk.”
“Sure mum and thanks. Have a nice afternoon.” Ginny said as she watched her mum quickly disappear in a burst of green flames from the fireplace floo.
Almost on cue, Harry and Ron walked into the kitchen.
“Where’s mum, Gin? I just saw her come in here a little while ago. I need to know where she put my broom. I can’t find it anywhere.” Ron said with a look of annoyance.
Hermione looked at Ron. This was the first time they’d been left unattended by an adult since Ron’s admission of his feelings for her. Truth be told, it made her a bit anxious. Sounding a bit nervous Hermione answered in a small, quiet voice, “Er…we’re out of tea.”
Ron looked at her with a bit of a curious smirk, pausing before he responded with a hint of sarcasm, “Is that so, huh? …Er… Hermione? Are you feeling okay?” He asked with a bit of a grin.
“Yes of course, I’m fine. Why do you ask?” She shot back quickly.
“Um…No reason I guess. So anyway, where’s mum Ginny?” He said now looking at Ginny.
“Well, like Hermione said, we ran out of tea so she went to fetch some from Diagon Alley. She said something about meeting dad for lunch and being gone for a few hours.” Ginny ended matter-a-factly.
Ron just looked at her for a second then asked for clarification. “Mum’s gone for the entire afternoon then?”
“Yeah, it sounded like she’d be awhile. She had several stops to make and then the lunch with dad.” Ginny said with a curious look spreading across her face as she asked, “Why do you need to know how long she’ll be gone?”
But Ginny could see the wheels turning in her brother’s head and she suspected that she already knew what he was thinking as a grin was spreading across his face. Ginny’s gaze darted from Ron to Hermione waiting for the show that was about to commence.
Thinking that he was subtler than he actually was, he attempted to sound nonchalant. “Just curious, you know…I…er…need my broom, remember?”
Then he moved his gaze over to Hermione smirking mischievously. Hermione responded to the look on his face by dropping her teacup and shattering it to bits. Ron grinned at her nervous reaction as he moved towards her looking a bit like a cat ready to pounce, or so Hermione thought at least. He took out his wand and repaired the cup and cleaned up the tea with a flick of his wrist.
At better than 6 feet in height, he more than towered over her small frame as he stood beside her looking down into her eyes. “Er…Hermione, there’s something I wanted to show you. Do you have a minute?” Ron asked raising one eyebrow and causing her to stutter.
“Show me? You want to…to show me something?” She stuttered.
He was grinning at the effect he was having on her senses. He found it oddly attractive that Hermione went a bit daft at the thought of being alone with him. He hoped that was a good thing as he reached out to take her hand, and quietly but succinctly answering her question. “Yeah, come on.”
He began leading her out of the kitchen and casting a sly wink to Harry, he shot, “You don’t mind do you Harry? I can’t find my broom anyway. We’ll fly later, right?”
Deciding to make things difficult, Harry answered in a somewhat serious tone, “Well, I don’t know Ron. I was rather looking forward to a bit of Quidditch. Are you quite sure you’ve checked everywhere?” He was grinning broadly and raising one eyebrow at his mate. This was going to be interesting.
“Yeah, er…I’ve looked all over. Sorry Harry. Well, you and Ginny can hang out right? We’ll, um… see you in a bit then.” Ron finished turning a light shade pink and rushing from the room with a rather embarrassed Hermione in tow.
Harry was laughing as he said, “You know, I don’t think he’s the least bit sorry. Do you?” he asked turning to Ginny who he was startled to find looked utterly scandalized.
Once the kitchen door had swung closed Ginny unloaded, “Show her something my foot; not much of a code talker, that one? That must be Ron speak for ‘Hey, my mum’s gone for the afternoon. What to have a snog? Oh he’s smooth alright. Poor Hermione looked like a deer caught in headlights or something.” Ginny spat sarcastically.
Harry couldn’t help but laugh. She was completely right after all. Ron hadn’t exactly been hard to read. “Well, she did seem a bit nervous, but she did go with him after all. I’m sure they’ll both be fine. This is Ron and Hermione we’re talking about. Ron would never do anything to hurt her. Besides, he knows if he did, I’d have no choice but to kick his ruddy arse.”
Ginny seemed to loosen up and began to smile at the images dancing through her head of Harry beating up her brother.
Watching the smile return to her face he asked, “Feel better now?” She nodded with a grin before he continued. “Good. Well, it looks like we have some time on our own. Do you feel like a game of chess or something?” He asked.
“Sure. I have the feeling he’ll be ‘showing her something’ for quite awhile.” Ginny answered with a smirk.
As he watched her, Harry couldn’t help but think that he’d like to be ‘showing Ginny something’ as well, but he wasn’t about to admit that out loud. He had the feeling that if any man used a line like that on her, she’d probably clock him. He made a mental note, that if the situation ever changed between them, that he was never to use cheeky, encrypted lines on Ginny for fear of harsh retaliation. After all, her Bat Bogey Hexes were legendary.
They were still laughing as they walked into the lounge. Suddenly Ginny stopped dead in her tracks. Unaware of what was happening, Harry ran smack into the back of her before he realized why she had halted so abruptly. Over the top of Ginny’s head he spotted Ron and Hermione “showing each other something” quite intensely, as they lay tangled together on the sofa. Harry heard a gasp begin to escape Ginny’s lips as he quickly covered her mouth with his hand. He slid his other hand around her waist resting his hand over her navel and pulling her back against his chest. Carefully they backed their way into the kitchen, closing the door behind them. Once inside, Harry let go of her and threw a silencing charm over them as they both burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“He’s showing her something alright. Couldn’t they at least have had the decency to go to Ron’s room or something?” Harry laughed.
“Hermione looks as though she’s gotten over being anxious. Not nervous now is she? In fact, she seems to be a bit of a quick study.” He finished as his laughter subsided a bit and he looked at Ginny with a grin.
“Yeah, well, that’s Hermione isn’t it? She excels in everything she tries. Not such a bad thing really I suppose in this case, especially for Ron” Ginny retorted with tears rolling from her laughter.
Grabbing the stitch in his side Harry gasped, “Um…okay…enough. I need to get rid of that image. She’s like my family you know.” Harry said feigning a shudder but still smiling. “Obviously, chess is out of the question because the board and pieces are in there. We can’t go upstairs to get my set because; again, we’d have to go through there. Any other suggestions Ginny?” Harry asked innocently.
“Well, it’s a lovely day. We could go outside and take a walk. We could bring a picnic. I don’t think they have any intentions of stopping for lunch. What do you think? Are you up for a bit of nature today?” Ginny waited expectantly for his response.
“Yeah, getting some fresh air sounds great. We’ve have been cooped up in here for quite awhile after all.” Harry answered.
Ginny gathered a few tidbits in a basket and they headed out the back door and into the garden. Ginny led him down a path that came out at a peaceful river. There she spread out a blanket and placed the basket down on top of it.
It was a hot summer day and the cool, moving water looked inviting. Without a second thought, she kicked off her shoes, walked over to the river and waded out into the water. Harry sat down on the blanket to watch as she waded out further into the current. She looked so sweet and innocent just enjoying the peacefulness of the day.
After several minutes of wandering through the water she looked back at him and motioned for him to join her. “Come on Harry, the water feels wonderful.”
“No thanks, I’m fine right here. You enjoy it though.” Harry said with a smile.
“Oh come on, pleeeease?” Ginny begged. As she was looking at Harry however, she wasn’t looking where she was stepping. Her foot slipped on a stone and she yelled in pain. “Harry, help me! My foot is caught.”
For a second Harry was suspicious that it could be a trick, but after seeing the pained expression on her face he decided to go and help. He got to his feet and took off his shoes then began wading out to where she stood and looked down. Her foot was definitely caught between two rocks and she couldn’t pull it free.
He reached down and gently tried to pry them apart. As he worked to free her she reached out placing her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. Extrication from her predicament proved to be harder than he thought however. When the rock finally broke free, he lost his balance and fell back into the water, rock in hand. Luckily it was deep enough that he caught himself before his body met any other stones in the water. Unfortunately for Harry though, he wasn’t in time to prevent himself from being effectively soaked him from head to toe.
Foot now free, Ginny began to laugh as he picked himself up from the water a bit huffily. “Oh, I’m so sorry Harry.” She laughed harder at his drowned rat appearance.
“Oh you’re sorry are you? You don’t exactly look sorry to me. You think it a bit funny do you? I’ll show you ‘sorry’ Ginerva Weasley.” He growled playfully. Then with a cheeky grin filling his face, Harry took off after a quickly retreating Ginny, who was squealing with laughter and trying to make a hasty exit from the river. He caught up with her in three strides and lifted her struggling body into his arms, cradling her against him and leaving her completely helpless to fight him off.
He was enjoying this as he grinned broadly down at her. “Now, if memory serves from when I went swimming here with your brothers, we’ll need to be especially careful in this particular area of the river. There’s a bit of a deep spot, just over there.” He grinned mischievously as he walked toward the spot in question.
“Oh Harry, please…please don’t! You wouldn’t would you?” She squealed again as she tightened her grip around his neck. He was being fueled by the sense of playful panic she was experiencing. He was in control now, and he had to admit to himself that it felt rather exhilarating.
“Whoops! I think… oh yes, my grip is slipping. Oh no, I’m dropping you! Really, so sorry about that, Ginny.” He added as he threw her deliberately into the deep water. ‘The spot’ was like a sinkhole in the river. The water there was a good 5 meters deep, where as the rest of the river was probably only knee to waist high at best.
She came up for air looking completely shocked. “I can’t believe you actually did that to me!”
He laughed playfully at her. “It was an accident. I just slipped. I swear. I’m soooo sorry about that, really Gin.”
Smirking back at him she asked, “Now that you’ve had you’re fun, could you at least help me out of here?”
“Well, okay, but only if you’ll call a truce; we’re even now, okay.” Harry asked suspiciously.
“Yes, yes, whatever you say. Now help me.” Harry reached down and grabbed her hand. As he went to pull her out, she pulled him forward instead and he lost his balance. He fell headfirst into the deep water.
He quickly surfaced gasping and turned to catch her as she was trying to climb out of the hole and back onto the edge of the rocks.
“Not so fast Miss Weasley. Oh, you’ll need to pay for that one!” He said as he grabbed her around the waist pulling her back in with him. He had a firm hold on her now and was tickling the daylights out of her as they tread water together. She struggled against him trying to get away as she giggled and begged him to let her go.
Without thinking he offered, “I’m quite enjoying this. I’m not sure I want to let you go. What exactly would you give me for your timely release?”
She was giggling to the point of crying as she offered, “Anything! Please Harry, I’ll do anything. What do you want?”
Her words had obviously struck a chord with him. He had her around the waist with one arm and had been tickling her relentlessly with the other. Now he had suddenly stopped. His laughter was subsiding and his eyes had turned rather dark. She was struggling to get away as she looked up to see him looking down at her. She had obviously asked the wrong question. The playfulness between them was quickly disappearing. What he wanted was written all over his face.
Slowly, she stopped struggling and began to move closer to him in the water. She was becoming keenly aware of the fact that his arm was still firmly wrapped around her waist. Their bodies were against each other now and she was trembling a bit, but not from the chill of the river. She was no longer laughing and her expression took on one of desire to match his.
Harry followed the progress of a drop of water as it ran down her cheek and past her lips. His heart was pounding, but before she could move any closer, he released her and floated back from her in the water.
Holding her gaze for a moment in silence, he then said, “Come on Gin, we should get dried off. I’ll help you out.” He climbed up onto the ledge of rock. He reached down taking both of her hands in his and pulled her up with one fluid motion onto the ledge with him. Keeping her hand in his he led her to the bank of the river and climbed out onto the grass. After she was safely ashore, he let go of her hand and walked back to the blanket. He placed his arms behind his head and stretched out on his back. The sunshine beating down on his wet, chilled skin felt relaxing as he tried to forget what had just passed between them again.
Feeling a bit confused about what had just happened she slowly made her way back up the bank to where he was lying. Joining him on the blanket, she lay down on her side facing him and propped her head up on her hand. She lay there for several minutes as she just watched him curiously in silence. When he finally looked over at her all he could say was, “What?”
“Harry, did I do something wrong?” she asked sounding a bit upset.
“No, Gin. You didn’t do anything wrong. It was me. Let's just forget it.” He responded quietly with a sigh.
She reached over to move the basket that was positioned between them. After setting it down in the grass she rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. Their bodies were lying very close together now. She was looking down at Harry as he lay on his back trying desperately to just to stare up at the sky.
As he lay there quietly on the blanket, Harry could feel her eyes on him. He knew she was confused and upset and that he had caused that. He also knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help but glance over at her. When he finally allowed his eyes to meet hers, it quickly became crystal clear to him that he was definitely in trouble. She looked incredibly sexy with the sun shining down on her. The light behind her was causing a bit of a halo effect around her. She had swept her wet hair around so it draped from one shoulder as she lay next to him. It was dripping and hanging all around her face. Her shirt clung to her body mercilessly as Harry tried quite unsuccessfully, not to notice.
He couldn’t stand it anymore as he began to feel that familiar ache that filled his dreams of her. Harry continued to feel her gaze boring through him, but he knew that he needed to be strong. He needed to keep her safe the only way he knew how. He had to put a stop to the disaster that was undoubtedly only seconds away from occurring.
Clearing his throat nervously, he spoke. “Ginny, this isn’t a good idea.” He said quietly making direct eye contact with her.
“What isn’t a good idea?” She asked silkily raising an eyebrow and allowing a small grin to curl her lips. “Getting wet or lying in the sun together after we’ve gotten wet?” She asked as she slowly reached over to him gently brushing a piece of damp hair from of his forehead and running her fingers through his ruffled hair. She watched as his eyes closed and he exhaled slowly at her touch.
Struggling for sanity he offered. “All…all of it.” his responded, his voice cracking a bit.
“Oh, I don’t know Harry. I happen to think it was all a very good idea.” She whispered with what sounded a bit like an invitation to Harry.
Before he could protest, she slowly lowered her head and warmly kissed his cheek. Tracing the spot she kissed with her finger, she slid her body closer to him. Again she kissed his cheek, but this time she allowed her lips to linger as she slid them to his down to his jaw line, brushing his skin with another feathery kiss.
Her breathing was shaky and unsteady. He could feel it on his skin. This is definitely ‘not good’ Harry thought. Finding his voice he started to speak in the best ‘voice of reason’ tone he could manage. “Ginny, I don’t think…”
Instead of listening to him, she slid her hand to his mouth placing her fingers to his lips as she whispered, “Sshhh…don’t think now just feel.”
He looked into her eyes, feeling utterly lost in her amber gaze. His reserves were completely tapped out and he suspected that she knew it.
Slowly, she moved back to his jaw line then started a soft trail of kisses down his neck. He groaned as she reached his pulse point and began to run her tongue gently over his throat. At first it was in tender movements, but as she kissed him, her tenderness turned into hunger. He heard a small moan escape her lips followed by his name as she nipped and kissed his neck.
That was it. He had reached his limits. She had successfully broken his resolve.
Before she knew what was happening, he had flipped her over, pinning her, almost roughly, beneath him. He had a hold of her wrists as he held them above her head and his eyes were blazing. His urge to have her was absolutely overwhelming him. He looked down at her for a split second weighing her response to his aggressive measure. When she simply looked back at him and nodded he gave himself completely over to her will.
With a throaty moan he covered her mouth greedily with his and released her hands. She slid her arms around him pulling him more fully on top of her. At first their kisses were rough and desperate, but then they settled into a seductively slow rhythm of passion. They were both lost in the moment as their kisses deepened even more. His tongue had passed freely between her lips and he felt her shudder as a small gasp of pleasure erupted from her. Things were happening rapidly as they explored each other over their wet clothes wanting more. It felt so good to finally be with her. It was better than his fantasies. In fact, it was too good Harry realized as he felt his arousal firmly pressing against her thigh. Pulling away, he paused and looked down at her.
Ginny was completely mesmerized by him. This was more than she ever dreamed of. Feeling his body respond so intensely to her only spurred her on as she slid her hands up into his hair, pulling him back to her mouth and deeper into a renewed kiss. Gradually she slid her arms down his back grazing him with her nails as he gasped and then exhaled slowly with the newly experienced sensation of her touch. Reaching the small of his back, she eased her fingers under the hem of his shirt and began to peel the wet garment slowly from his skin, all the while holding his gaze. Finally she pulled it over his head and tossed it aside as she ran her hands gently over his muscled chest. Quidditch and D.A. training had obviously had a beneficial effect on his body. He leaned down again to her, capturing her bottom lip between his teeth and then gently kissing her. He wanted so badly to feel her skin against his.
Eyeing the buttons of her shirt hungrily, a thought suddenly struck Harry. If they didn’t stop now, they might not stop at all. Reality came crashing in on him and without warning; he suddenly pulled away and sat up leaving her breathless, lying on the blanket beside him.
After a few seconds of stunned silence Ginny sat up beside him. “What’s wrong Harry?” she asked with confusion in her voice. “Don’t you…I thought you wanted this too. I thought that…well, I felt it that day in your room. I’m sure I felt it just now. If Ron and Hermione hadn’t interrupted that day then we…”
Before she could finish that thought Harry cut her off, “We can’t do this Ginny.” He said in a quiet voice trying to convince himself as much as her.
“Sorry? What do you mean? Of course we can. I want this too.” She answered with a shy smile as ran her finger nails lightly over his bare back, invoking a shiver from him that she was sure had nothing to do with being cold.
Battling to keep control of his senses despite her attempts to the contrary, he answered. “No, I mean it, Ginny. I can’t do this to you. It wouldn’t be fair.” He answered a bit more firmly as he got up and walked over to the water’s edge. Slowly she got up and followed him. As she stood next to him she looked up at his face and she could see the worry in his expression. She gently reached up to touch his shoulder. Reluctantly he turned to face her.
“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand Harry. What exactly wouldn’t be fair to me? Do you care for me?” She asked.
“Yes, of course I do.” He answered a bit flustered.
“Don’t you find me attractive?” She asked looking at her feet.
He placed a finger under her chin forcing her to look at him and answered, “I think you know that I do. You’re beautiful Ginny.”
“Well, then why Harry? Why can’t we do this? I think it’s pretty clear that I fancy you too.” she responded a bit confused.
He took a deep breath and then looked down at her. He didn’t want to hurt her. He needed to choose his words very carefully. “Ginny, it’s not you. I just lost my head there for a minute. I’m sorry. I don’t want to take advantage of you. I could never do that to you.”
With a small smile gracing her face Ginny answered, “Harry, I think that the girl has to be unwilling or naïve in order for the boy to take advantage of her. I assure you that I’m neither of those things.” Then more seriously she added, “I’m not ten years old anymore. I’m growing up and my feelings for you have only gotten stronger over the years; strong enough to know that …I love you, Harry. I think it’s time you knew what’s in my heart too.”
He swallowed hard looking down at her, “You…you love me?”
“Yes, surely you had some idea.” She said a bit sheepishly. “I haven’t always known for sure. At first it was just a bit of a crush, but as I really got to know you, I found that it developed into something quite deeper. I know you don’t share my feelings, but maybe in time…”
Again he cut her off, “Ginny, you’re wrong. I do have feelings for you. That’s part of the problem. They’re strong feelings, but I still can’t do this.” He said sadly.
Ginny looked into his eyes. Getting lost in their wonderful green glow she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck. She stood on tiptoe as she slowly sought out his lips once more, whispering, “You can do whatever you like Harry.”
He was momentarily lost in the sensation of her touch and the implication of her words, as he brushed his lips against hers. But then before he could completely lose himself again, he reached up, grasping her hands and pulling them gently from his body as he moved away from her again.
“No Ginny, I mean it. I can’t do this. The closer you are to me, the more danger I put you in. If Voldemort ever found out that I have feelings for you then you’d become his prime target. There would be death eaters all over you. He’s already killed practically everyone else that I love. My parents, Sirius…I don’t want you to be next. I couldn’t live with myself if anything else happened to you because of me. You’ve been through enough already.”
She knew he was serious, but she couldn’t let him shut her out like this. “Harry please, don’t let him run your life. He already knows how I feel about you. What difference does it make if he knows you have feelings for me too?” She asked.
Feeling a surge of anger he raised his voice more than he intended. “What difference does it make? What difference? I’ll tell you, it makes a hell of a lot of difference! It could be perhaps the difference between him wanting to just play games with you and him wanting you dead simply to hurt me. No Ginny! My mind’s made up. I can’t do this!” Harry said with finality. He didn’t want to be mean, but she was leaving him no choice and his tone had definitely taken on a shade of an angry undercurrent.
He thought that would be it. As far as he was concerned, he matter was closed, but of course this was Ginny he was talking about and she was not one to back down easily from a fight. After a few seconds of angry silence she shot back, “You can’t or you won’t?” raising her voice a bit as well.
“It all comes to the same thing doesn’t it? Why do you even want to be with me anyway? I can’t be with you because I’m living on borrowed time as it is! I’ll probably be dead before you can even come of age next year!"
Before Harry could react Ginny had raised her hand and slapped him hard across the cheek, “DON”T. EVER. SAY. THAT. AGAIN!” She said as tears began to form in her eyes.
She was shuddering as she spoke. “If you deprive yourself of all that is good in life, if you deprive yourself of love then he’s already taken control of you. If that’s the way you’re going to live, I’m afraid he’s already won. You… you may as well be dead.” She said as a tear slid silently down her cheek.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about Ginny! You haven’t been living with him hanging over you not like I have anyway! I’m trying to keep you from getting hurt. It’s because I care that I can’t be with you. I can’t be that person for you now. It’s possible that I’ll never be able to give myself to you that way. It wouldn’t be fair to you to wait for me. You need to meet someone else, just move on and forget me. When you forget about me, then he’ll forget about you. You’ll be safe.”
The sad thing was that Harry actually believed that was true, unfortunately Ginny did not. “Move on? You’re telling me to just move on then?”
“Yeah, you have to.” He answered.
“Well, Harry Potter, I have a news flash for you, I’ve tried that! Or hadn’t you noticed? What do you think I was doing when I was dating Michael and Dean and those other boys? I was trying to ‘move on’ and forget my feelings for you, but it didn’t work then and it won’t work now! Especially not after what just happened between us! That felt right. We feel right and you know it just as much as I do.”
“What do you want me to do, Ginny? I’m doing this for you!” He looked at her with frustration overcoming him.
Her expression softened at his look. In a voice he could barely hear she said. “Love me. Just love me. That’s all I want.”
He sighed as his heart was breaking from the pain he was causing her. “I’m sorry Ginny. I don’t want to hurt you. That’s the last thing I meant to do. Why do you think I’ve been avoiding exactly what just happened on the blanket for the last few weeks?”
With his last comment her anger returned full force, “You mean you’ve been deliberately avoiding this? That’s not fair to either of us. You need to understand something. I didn’t choose to love you. It just happened. It’s not going to just go away. I can’t turn off my feelings for you like that.”
“Well, you don’t have a choice! My mind’s made up! It’s not going to happen. ‘We’re’ not going to happen Ginny; NOT now, NOT ever!” His face was tense and angry. Why couldn’t she understand that it was for her own good? Why couldn’t she see to reason and accept that what he was doing was what was best for her?
The anger in her voice was replaced by what sounded a bit like pity. Anger was much easier to manage he thought to himself as she spoke.
“Harry, if that’s really how you feel, I guess you really aren’t the person I thought you were. I thought you were stronger than this.” She said sadly. As the tears started to roll freely down her cheeks, she turned to leave. A few steps from the path she stopped and slowly turned back to look at him.
Quietly she said, “I do love you, Harry. I know you don’t want to hear this, but that isn’t going to change. If you ever decide that you want to live, and I hope you do, you know where to find me.” Sadly she turned and left him standing there alone and feeling like she had just torn out his heart and handed it to him.
He wanted to stop her. He certainly didn’t want them to leave things this way, but it would only make things worse if he reached out to her now. He knew he had to let her go; today and forever.
Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Mrs. Weasley's Secret
Chapter 17 Mrs. Weasley’s SecretSeveral extremely lonely days passed at Grimmauld Place for Harry. Ginny had apparently decided that if he wasn’t going to be true to his feelings then she simply wasn’t going to speak to him at all. Harry knew she’d be angry with him for a little while, but he assumed she’d get over it eventually and they could go back to being friends. However, up to this point it appeared that he was quite mistaken for Ginny spent the better part of her time leaving rooms in a huff as he entered and completely ignoring him otherwise. He was beginning to feel a bit like he was back at Privet Drive when it came to Ginny. She acted as though he simply didn’t exist.
Although Ron appeared to be in a veritable fog as to what going on around him, Hermione had certainly noticed a change in the atmosphere. When she questioned Harry about it however, he had told her that nothing was wrong and that he and Ginny had just had a disagreement. He made it clear that he didn’t really want to talk about it and that she wasn’t to talk to Ginny about it either. Reluctantly she agreed to let it be, at least for now.
Making a difficult situation even more difficult for Harry was the fact that ever since Ron had ‘shown Hermione something’ in the lounge, they had begun disappearing at regular intervals. Perhaps this had been happening for some time, but Harry hadn’t noticed as much before because he was happy to spend time with Ginny. Now that option was definitely off the table. The times that he was able to tag along with them to do anything, they always seemed to end up snuggling and talking together in whispers. They weren’t really trying to be inconsiderate, but it was pretty clear that they needed time alone.
Harry wasn’t angry with them, just lonesome. It wasn’t like he wished he could be the one to be with Hermione instead of Ron or anything. He wanted Ginny, but he knew he couldn’t have her. That fact made him a bit jealous of what they had together. His best friends in the world now shared something that he’d never be a part of. He missed hanging out, just the three of them. As their threesome became a twosome plus Harry, he began to feel more and more alone. He tried very hard never to show that it bothered him. He saw no reason for them to be unhappy just because he was, and he certainly didn’t want them to feel guilty for finding that they actually loved each other. He would get used to the new state of normal in his life. It would just take a little time. For now, whenever they started to drift off into their own world, Harry would quietly sneak away from the couple and retreat to his room, not that they noticed usually. It was at those times that he’d allow himself to think of her.
It just about drove him out of his mind to replay that afternoon by the river in his mind. His heartbeat would quicken as he imagined pinning her beneath him and finally giving into his need for her. She had been right on one count; it did feel right to be with her. It was like it was the most natural thing in the world. Whether she knew it or not, he had given a part of himself to her that day, a part of himself that he’d never be able to reclaim. He felt like he’d never be whole again without her. There were times that he felt he needed her so much that he’d almost give in to his feelings. Whenever he began to falter in his decision though, he’d simply look in the mirror to remind himself of the reason he was alone. He hated that scar. He hated what it represented and he hated what it meant for his future. It meant, that he simply didn’t have one.
With the rest of the Order now back in their daily routines and the other Weasley’s back at their jobs, Harry had taken to haunting the kitchen when he wasn’t holed up in his room. He spent his time in there talking to Mrs. Weasley or helping her with things. At least one Weasley female was speaking to him. Apparently however, this had thrown up a red flag for her and she finally questioned him one day about his frequent visits with her.
“Harry dear, is there anything wrong?” She asked one afternoon when he offered to help her de-gnome the flower pots a little more enthusiastically than seemed normal.
“Uh…no Mrs. Weasley, I’m fine. What could possibly be wrong?” he answered trying to sound sincere but not too desperate for her to allow him to help her.
“Well, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the help…or the company, but wouldn’t you much rather spend your time with Ron and Hermione or perhaps Ginny? You’ve been on your own an awful lot lately this week. I was just wondering if perhaps you lot have had a quarrel or something.” She was looking concernedly into his eyes as she spoke. She had the look of a mother consoling her son, which in some ways, she felt she was.
Harry looked back at her marveling at her instincts. She knew him well enough to know when he wasn’t acting himself. It comforted him to know that she could see into him as a real mother would. After looking back at her for a few seconds, he quietly sat down with a sigh at the table. He decided that if the only person he could talk to was Mrs. Weasley, so be it. He watched as she sat down across from him and handed him a cup of tea. She regarded him silently with an encouraging smile on her face and waited patiently for him to begin.
“Mrs. Weasley, there’s something you should know.” Pausing briefly, he asked himself if he really wanted to tell her, Ginny’s mum, what was going on, but seeing no other outlet for his feelings, he gave in to the temptation to vent to her.
“It’s just that…er…Ginny, well…that is to say that I…Oh I don’t know what to say.” He ended with a huff.
Mrs. Weasley looked him with a bit of a smile then quietly spoke. “Harry, if you’re trying to tell me that Ginny has feelings for you, you needn’t bother. I already know. My daughter has told me that she’s in love with you. She told me while you were trapped in her dream. Apparently sometime between now and then, she’s obviously told you as well.”
Harry could feel his cheeks flushing as the heat of his embarrassment overcame him. It was one thing for him to tell her now, but to find out she’s known all this time, kind of made he feel uncomfortable for some reason.
“I’m really sorry Mrs. Weasley. I want you to know I didn’t do anything about it. I don’t want to hurt Ginny. I would never do anything that would hurt her ever.” He offered as he felt suddenly like he needed to beg her forgiveness, but he wasn’t quite certain why.
She continued to smile warmly as she looked at the flustered teenage boy in front of her. “Harry, after everything you have done for our daughter in the past, everything you’ve done for our family, how could you ever think that I would feel you untrustworthy where she was concerned? I know you are not my son, but you should know that I am proud to be here for you. Arthur and I both love you as family. You do know that don’t you?”
Harry looked a bit sheepishly into his teacup as he quietly nodded avoiding her gaze.
“Well, then,” she continued, “you should also know that if your mum was here, she’d be asking you the very same questions. As I said, I know I’m not your mum and I would never try to replace Lily, but if you need me, if you have questions…”
She watched as Harry’s face turned a brighter shade of red.
“I’m so sorry Harry. It was not my intention to embarrass you or intrude on your personal feelings, but I guess I’m safe in assuming you don’t return her feelings then?”
Harry finally looked up from his tea and straight into her eyes as he began to nervously let it all out, “Actually, that’s not really the case. I care very much for Ginny, Mrs. Weasley. I do care for her and that’s why I can’t…er…go out with her.” He finished, choosing his words carefully. He seriously doubted that her motherly instincts towards him would extend to the fact that he wanted to tear off her daughter’s blouse and then see where it took them.
“Oh…um…I’m not quite sure I understand. If it’s my blessing your concerned about Harry, you needn’t be. I couldn’t imagine Ginny ever choosing someone more worthy of her love than you. Nor could I ever imagine her finding anyone who would take better care of her than you. I’ve known you long enough to know that family and friends are your priority, even above yourself. I can’t ask for more for my only daughter than a caring, giving, generous, young man who cares for her now can I?” She finished with a broad smile and glistening eyes.
He looked back at her with a warmed heart. “Thank you Mrs. Weasley. That really means a lot to me, but I only wish it were that simple.” In response to the curious look on her face, he began to explain his argument to her.
“The problem isn’t how I feel about her, well in way it is actually, but the real problem is that if Volde…sorry…You-Know-Who ever realized my feelings for her, it would in essence be like placing a target squarely on her back.” Mrs. Weasley gasped at this revelation. It apparently had not occurred to her up until now. After that he continued to explain how he felt that loving him would place her in unnecessary danger. Danger that he simply would not be a party to and that he had told her as much.
“I can tell you see my point.” He said watching her expression fade from a loving smile to one of worry.
“The issue is however, Ginny does not. I told her that she needed to move on and find someone else. Someone who has a better chance of, well, surviving to see his next birthday, but she’s so stubborn! She just won’t see to reason. She says that her feelings aren’t going to change. She basically called me a coward and said that I might as well be dead if this is how I was going to live. Can you believe her? She’s so infuriating and…and…well, you know how she can be.” He finished a little indignantly feeling as though he finally had someone whom would agree with him.
With genuine sympathy in her voice Mrs. Weasley began to speak. “Forgive me dear if I’m out of line, but regardless of how ‘infuriating’ she can be it sounds to me like you miss her. She’ll come around. She loves you too much to stay away completely.”
“No, I’m afraid she’s pretty, well, excuse me but, she’s more than hacked off at me now. She won’t even speak to me. If she could only see that I’m doing this to protect her then maybe she’d understand. I miss her terribly. I miss her friendship. I’d give anything for it to just go back to the way it was before she told me how she felt.” He responded regretfully.
“Harry I’m so sorry that you’ve had to add this to your list of worries. Finding out that someone is in love with you, someone whom you care for as well, should be a happy time. I’m sorry that it’s only brought you misery. The way you’ve been skulking around here for the last week makes complete sense now. I know you think you’re angry at her for being unreasonable, but perhaps being angry with her is only your way of convincing yourself that you should just stay away from her.”
He looked at her in disbelief, “I would think you’d want me to stay away from her given the circumstances. I thought I could at least count on you to support my decision.”
“I’m sorry Harry, but I know my daughter well enough to know that once she sets her mind to something, that what I think will have very little effect on her. When she told me that she loved you, it came from her heart. It wasn’t a little school girl’s crush. She believes that you are the only one for her. You also must ask yourself how you would feel if in fact she did go on and find someone else. Could you live with the fact that she would be with another man instead of you? Have you considered how you’d feel if she actually takes your advice, finds someone else and perhaps one day marries that person?”
In response to that question Harry looked up at her with an expression of revulsion. The thought of any other man touching her, kissing her, or doing anything of the kind wasn’t an image he wanted to dwell on. It seemed that Mrs. Weasley read his body language and responded, “I thought not. You know, true love is a powerful force Harry. Have you considered that?”
“What do you mean?” he asked still trying to wipe the image of Riddle’s hands all over Ginny body from his mind.
“It was your mother’s love that saved you the first time from Voldemort, wasn’t it?” she responded firmly.
A bit startled by her use of his name he looked up then said, “Yes, but she died in saving me. She sacrificed herself so that I could live. If you are saying that I should allow myself to care for…to love her so that it will protect me, I’m not sure I can do that. I couldn’t live with myself if another person I care for dies because of me. Do you have any idea what that feels like?”
Mrs. Weasley got up from the table with tears forming in her eyes. She walked to the window and began looking out over the garden. “Actually Harry, yes; I do.”
For a few seconds he just sat in stunned silence then he responded, “What? What do you mean you know what that feels like?”
“Harry if I tell you something, something about my past, do you promise to keep this between us? My children don’t know about this and I’d prefer that it stay that way.” She said turning to look at him.
He didn’t know if it was fair for him to agree to such a promise. After all Ron was his best friend. What if it was something he deserved to know? His curiosity got the better of him however as he answered. “Um…Yeah… of course Mrs. Weasley. What is it?”
“Well, you may be aware that the majority of my family was killed in the first war by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. My parents were members of the original Order of the Phoenix. They were working to gain information about Voldemort for the Order and moving in secret to do so. When they were discovered, he sent a band of Death Eaters to destroy them. He wanted them to die, them and their heirs to be more precise actually.” She began shakily.
Harry nodded, not sure where this was going, but urging her to continue.
“Have you ever wondered why I alone survived?” she asked.
“Er…actually, no, it never occurred to me. I guess I just thought you weren’t at home when they came or something.” He responded.
“No Harry, I was very much at home at the time. I was 10 years old. I was the youngest of my siblings. My mother had taken me and hidden me as they entered our home. I could hear the screams and the explosions happening all around me. I knew that my family was being slaughtered. All six of my brothers, my father, and I assumed my mother. As the sounds came closer to where I was hidden I heard my mother trying to fight them off. I couldn’t stand it any longer and I burst from my hiding spot. She jumped in front of me and shielded me just as he cast the Avada Kadarva curse at me. The last thing I remember her saying was ‘Not my daughter!’ Then she was gone.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks now as her voice faltered again slightly.
“Mrs. Weasley, I’m so sorry. I never knew. It must have been horrible to be old enough to fully understand what was happening and feel helpless to do anything about it. How did you get out of there?”
“Well, they tried to curse me after she fell to the floor, but a strange glow erupted all around me. It was like a force field of love you could say I guess. They were unable to curse me or even touch me. Then Professor Dumbledore came with the other Order members. He took me to Hogwarts. I stayed there until the next fall when I started school. The rest, as they say, is history.” She finished as if on automatic pilot.
He stood in awe of her before asking, “How do you do it? How do you forget about all of it and just go on as if nothing has happened. I never would have believed it had you not just told me yourself.”
“Well Harry, it wasn’t easy. I’ve had a few more years to deal with it than you have of course. You never forget, but it does get easier. I never would have made it if it weren’t for Arthur though. He showed me that it was not only possible to love again, but crucial that I do so. It was the only way I could ever go on living.” She paused, and then quietly continued, “There was a time when I felt guilty, guilty for living. I suspect you’ve felt that too, haven’t you?”
Harry simply couldn’t believe that they were having this conversation. There was someone in the world who knew how it felt to be him. Quietly he answered, “Yeah, there have been times that I wish that I would have died with them. My need to avenge them however, wins out over my wish to join them.”
“Good. You continue to fight Harry. Life is so worth living. When I look at my husband and my children, I know that I made the right choice choosing life; choosing love. It would have been an insult to my mother’s memory to go through life not really living it. It would have made my mother’s sacrifice all for naught. There’s something else Harry, something that may change your mind about Ginny.” She said now turning back to the window.
“What’s that?” He couldn’t imagine what else she could possible say that would be more astonishing that what she had already shared.
“Well, the protection that’s inside of me because of my mother, the same protection that lives in you, it doesn’t stop there.” She said quietly.
“What do you mean, it doesn’t stop there?” he asked curiously.
“It is passed on to future generations through the bloodline. What I’m trying to say is that it was passed to my children as well. It lives inside of all of them, Ginny included.” She said.
Turning to face him she said, “I know your worried Harry, and each of us needs to make our own choices. We all need to find our own path, but if someday you choose to have children I suspect the same protection will guard them as well. Without being too forward or assuming too much, if Ginny were their mother, they would inherit the charm from both of your blood lines. I suspect they would be better protected than any other child on Earth, perhaps any living creature on Earth. There would be virtually nothing in the world of dark magic that could touch them.” Harry looked shocked at both the mention of children by her but also the implication that she would be supportive of him having children with her only daughter. Only as an afterthought did he truly comprehend what she was saying. If he in fact survived to have children of his own they’d be practically untouchable by Voldemort and his followers.
Before he could respond she continued, “The point is Harry that Ginny can help you because she has the same shield of love that you have. She doesn’t know that of course. She only knows she loves you, which is really all it takes to extend that shield around you.” Mrs. Weasley finished.
“But Mrs. Weasley, if all of this is true, then why was ‘He’ able to take her, twice? What about all the times your sons have been injured in battle over the years?” he asked.
“That’s the key word isn’t it Harry? They were injured. Ginny was hurt, but managed to survive everything that happened with no lasting effects. A normal wizard wouldn’t be likely to survive half of the things that my children have. For that matter, I suspect Fred and George would have met their fates at their own hands on several occasions with their experimental magic had it not been for the charm that protects them.” She said quite seriously.
“So, why don’t you tell them? Why do you keep it a secret? Surely, it would be good for them to know.” He offered quizzically.
“I don’t think so Harry. They might think they were invincible or something. I don’t want my children taking unnecessary risks. Risks that I believe they’d take if they knew about the charm, risks that could lead to their downfall if they weren’t careful. No one is completely invincible. Please Harry; promise me you won’t tell them, any of them.”
“If you wish this to remain secret, of course, I won’t tell them”
After a brief pause Harry added, “Thank you for sharing this with me. It must be difficult to talk about it after all this time and I appreciate you trusting me with this.” He said gratefully.
“Mrs. Weasley? May I ask who does know?” he added as an afterthought.
“Well, the list is rather a short one; Dumbledore knows of course, Minerva McGonagalll, who looked after me at Hogwarts, Arthur, and now you.” She said quietly.
She sighed deeply before adding, “Harry, if there’s one thing that you take from what I have shared with you today, let it be this. We are the guides of our own journey. My advice, from someone who knows a bit about this, is don’t ever let someone else, no matter how powerful they are, choose which road you take.”
“I understand what you’re saying, but I’m not letting him choose my road. At least I don’t see it that way. I’m trying to protect your daughter, Mrs. Weasley. Why can’t anyone understand that? Shielding Charm or not, she deserves better. She deserves a life with someone who isn’t marked for death.”
“There’s something else you should know as well, my shield, as you call it, is weakened now because he was able to take some of my blood at the end of the Tri-Wizard tournament. Dumbledore said that in some ways, I passed the protection of my mother onto Voldemort on that night. That has decreased its potency for me as well albeit not completely.”
“Having my blood running through his body does have one vital advantage for us though that Dumbledore is betting Voldemort hasn’t thought of my blood in essence makes him human again. He’s no longer immortal. It has therefore made him just as vulnerable to a human death as I am. The fact is, none of us know what he’s capable of or how capable I am of actually defeating him. Herein lies my dilemma. If I follow my feelings and go to Ginny, I put her at risk for his attacks now and I also run the risk of abandoning her in death if I can’t defeat him. She should have someone who at least has a chance of someday marrying her, giving her children and growing old with her. I’m doing what’s best for her. I guess in a sense I’m hurting her a little now, so I don’t hurt her even more later.” He finished resolutely.
Mrs. Weasley sighed and slowly walked over to Harry placing her hand on his shoulder. “If that’s your decision, then that’s your decision dear. I will never presume to tell you how you should live your life. Only you can decide that, but just know that we love you, Harry.” As she crossed the kitchen and opened the back garden door she turned and added, “If you should ever choose to follow your heart instead of your head, you have my support.”
Harry sat for a long time alone in the kitchen thinking over her words. It was growing dark and he was tired. He slowly climbed the stairs and entered his already darkening room. In the dim light flowing in from his window he could make out a small package positioned on his pillow. He moved to the bed and sat down on the edge of it picking up the parcel and turning it over in his hands. As he untied the ribbon and opened the parchment that concealed the object he could scarcely believe what he was holding. There inside the wrappings was the dream amulet. Attached was a note.
Dear Harry,
Thank you for sharing your heart with me today. I know it wasn’t easy for you to open yourself up in that way. I also know that you will keep my secret safe. Always remember that you are not alone. Now that you know that I am capable of understanding how you feel more than most realize, I hope that it brings you some small measure of comfort
Please consider your options very carefully before casting your lot. In light of the circumstances, I am giving this back to you. Please don’t be hasty. Take your time and be sure that you are making the right decision for you. I will always be here to support you, even if you and Ginny aren’t meant to be.
Finally Harry, you will always be family, please remember that. I think you know what to do. Pleasant dreams Harry.
With Love,
Molly
Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Bittersweet Dreams
Chapter 18 Bittersweet DreamsHarry remained in his room until the sounds of the house grew quiet around him. He knew everyone had surely fallen asleep by now. He looked at the amulet that he’d been absentmindedly been rubbing between his fingers for the last hour. He had made his decision. In some ways, he knew it was wrong to do this, but he missed her so much. He only wanted to be near her even if it wasn’t real.
He rose from the bed and crossed the room to his door. Quietly he opened it and peered out into the vacant hallway. Before he could change his mind he quickly crossed the hall and moved into Ginny’s room closing the door behind him with a small click that actually sounded quite loud to him in the silence of her room. He held his breath momentarily to see if she would stir. When she continued to breathe slowly and deeply in her sleep he quietly moved closer to her.
From the stream of moonlight entering her room, he could see that she looked beautiful with her ginger hair fanned out over the pillow. She had one arm lying back on the pillow above her head and the other rested gently on her stomach. The blankets lay just above her navel, exposing her white, sleeveless nightgown. She was sleeping so peacefully. She even seemed have a small smile on her lips.
Harry paused looking down at her briefly. He could have simply lay down next to her and happily spent the rest of the night just watching her sleep. He was just so glad to be near her and not have her running the other way for the first time in almost two weeks.
He looked at the amulet again, and then gently placed the stone on her chest, hoping he wouldn’t startle her into waking. As Harry watched, the chain slowly snaked its way around her, clasping itself at the nape of her neck. He couldn’t help but smile as she stirred slightly at the sensation of the thin chain moving against her body. When she seemed to return to her deep sleep, he moved to touch his wand to the amulet and he whispered the incantation that Ron had told him about when he was explaining the amulet’s power to him.
Harry watched as the dull glow inside the stone began to grow to a white-hot light. The power of the emerald green amulet was surging into him as his wand tip began to tremble. He could almost track the force of its power as it seemed to move up the shaft of his wand and into his body. A fog of blackness began to encircle him as he felt his body crumpling and falling to the floor. He was unable to catch himself and he felt himself hit hard before everything went completely dark around him.
In the next moment a bright light filled his eyes. He blinked as he struggled to focus and gain his bearings in his unfamiliar surroundings. As he rose to his feet, he realized his surroundings weren’t actually that unfamiliar after all. When he had entered Ginny’s dream, it took him to the Burrow. He was at the edge of the garden just out of view of several children playing together. From the looks of the ginger-haired heads, it was the Weasley children to be exact. It didn’t take long for him to realize that Ginny was having a dream about her childhood. Carefully he moved to a new position that would allow him to see them more clearly, but not allow them to see him. He was afraid of what would happen if they did see him. After all, the younger Bill and Charlie in her dream wouldn’t know Harry, for that matter he wasn’t sure if Ginny even would.
As he watched them, he began to see how wonderful it must have been to grow up with so many siblings. He looked around trying to figure out who was who. It was pretty clear that the two blokes on brooms were Bill and Charlie. They were definitely the oldest, but couldn’t be more than 15 and 13 at the time. Fred and George of course were easy to spot moving in tandem. They were playing a game that involved garden gnomes and a bit of a stick with a 6 or 7 year old boy who undoubtedly had to be Ron. They were running and seemingly having a great time. Percy seemed absent at the moment until Harry spotted him under a tree reading.
Then, there was Ginny. She was picking flowers and humming a little song. She couldn’t be more than 4 or 5. She was simply lovely as a little girl Harry thought. She had long, shimmering, ginger hair that rested somewhere about her waist and ended with soft curls at the tips. She was smiling to herself as she went about her work and looked extremely proud of herself. Seemingly satisfied with the bouquet that she had created, she walked happily over to the two boys who had just landed their brooms and were arguing jokingly about who was the better flier. She bounded up to the older boy and tugged on his shirt quietly. They patiently stopped their argument as they looked down smiling at her and Bill asked, “What can I do for you, little princess?” It was pretty clear that her brothers doted on her when she was little and how couldn’t you? She was simply adorable. Harry smiled as he watched her raise her small fistful of flowers up for him to see.
“Look Billy! I picked some of mummy’s flowers! I picked them just for you. Aren’t they lovely?” She said with a smile.
Reaching down he lifted her up into his arms resting her on his hip. “They are lovely and you picked them just for me?” She nodded proudly as he continued. “That was very thoughtful, little one.” He took them from her and tucked all but one of them carefully into his shirt pocket so they poked out of the top which made her laugh. “You’re so silly.” She said. Then he took the remaining flower and gently tucked it into her hair behind her ear. “I love you, Billy.” She said as she flung her arms around his neck hugging him. “I love you too, Princess Ginny.” He answered as she giggled warmly.
“Billy?” She looked down at the broom in his other hand. “Can I have a go on your broom? Will you take me flying?” She asked innocently as she pulled away from her brother to look at him. Bill looked at Charlie with a grin. Charlie looked back at him with a matching grin and a shrug.
Harry couldn’t help but think that she had learned how to be irresistible very early on in life. He had to fight to not laugh out loud as Bill tried to convince her she was too little and that their mum would skin him if she caught him taking her riding.
At his reluctance she gently placed her tiny hands on his cheeks forcing him to look at her as she begged. “Oh please, Billy. I promise to be a very good girl. Please? I want to fly like the birds do.” She looked up at him pleadingly. Harry watched on in amusement as she turned on the charm for her eldest brother. He wondered if she knew then how much influence she had over them. It was obvious that they were quite taken by her and although Ginny frequently complained of ‘having to grow up as the only girl in house full of boys’, it was quite evident that the littlest Weasley had really held the power back then.
Unable to deny her, Bill finally sighed and said, “Oh alright love, but you really must promise never to tell mummy. Can you do that, princess?”
She squealed with delight as she again hugged her brother tightly around his neck. “Oh yes! I promise! I promise!”
“Alright then, let’s go fly like the birds, okay?” With that he set her down long enough to mount his broom. Then he held his arms out to her and lifted her onto the broom in front of him. He held her in place with one arm as he slowly took off and began to make gentle passes across the garden through the air. Harry could hear her laughter and her gasps as they flew for several minutes back and forth about 20 or so feet above the ground. After awhile Bill returned to the ground and gently lifted her off and returned her safely to her feet.
She was smiling broadly as she said, “Oh, thank you! That was wonderful!” Then she reached up and kissed Bill on the cheek.
“You’re welcome love. Now remember your promise princess; mummy can never know, right?” She smiled warmly at him as she responded, “Oh, never Billy I promise.” Then she turned her attention to her brother Charlie.
“Charlie, would you play with me?” She asked as she slid her tiny hand into her brothers larger one looking up at him with her amber doe eyes, that Harry was sure now were completely irresistible to the male population at large.
Charlie smiled down at her and asked, “Alright sweetheart, what would you like to play?” She seemed to consider the question for a moment then she answered with a smile. “I want to go down to the stream and go wading. Will you take me? I’m not allowed to go in the water alone.” She seemed to add for good measure.
Charlie just grinned at her admitting defeat as they began to walk off together hand in hand towards the stream at the back of the Weasley’s property.
Harry wanted to leave his hiding place and follow them, but he knew he’d have to walk past the other Weasley’s to do it. His visit for tonight was obviously over. In the next second he found himself lying on the floor of Ginny’s room. Collecting himself and feeling a bit sore from his original fall, he got up rubbing the bruise now forming on his elbow where he had undoubtedly hit the floor first. After getting to his feet he looked down at her with renewed affection.
He wasn’t sure if he was actually in love with her before that night. His feelings had been so confusing. He knew he was extremely attracted to her and that he cared about her. But, was it just lust mixed with friendship or was it really love? He hadn’t really had much experience with the emotion of love after all. After watching her in her dream however, his doubts had disappeared. Her sweetness, her innocence, and the strength that she had grown to possess were all endearing to him. How could he not love her? Unable to resist, he slowly bent over her and kissed her forehead gently. He watched her stir again slightly and then rub her face in her sleep. Smiling down at her and feeling better than he had in several days he released the clasp on the chain with his wand and summoned the amulet to him. Taking one last look at her he then quietly left her room.
As Harry returned to his bed, he spent a long time thinking about Ginny and her brothers. It warmed him to see their closeness. He would have given anything to have what they had growing up. Harry knew they were poor, but they never knew it, not back then anyway. They were rich in ways that mattered and it was completely obvious that they were happier just being together than anything they could buy would ever make them.
Harry had neither money nor love growing up. He found himself imagining about the future. He pictured a life with Ginny. He pictured what it would be like to have children with her. He decided, hypothetically of course, that if they did have children, he’d want a bunch of them, just like the Weasley’s. He hoped that at least one of them would be a little girl, who of course would look just like her mother. He thought of himself melting under the pleading eyes of his daughter and smiled to himself happily. Even if it never happened, just the thought of it made him smile. Somewhere in his daydreaming he pleasantly drifted off to sleep and spent the rest of the night dreaming of ‘his family’. The one he wished he could someday have with Ginny.
The next morning he awoke feeling pleasantly rested. He slept better than he had in days and he rose to meet the day with renewed energy. That feeling lasted until he entered the hall and suddenly ran smack into the very person he’d been dreaming about who was walking past his room towards the stairway as he was coming out.
“Ginny! I’m sorry! I didn’t know you were…well, I didn’t see you when I came out of my room. Are you okay?” He asked.
She looked up at him stubbornly. “I’m fine Harry, not that you’d notice or even care for that matter.” Then she brushed passed him and stormed out of view down the stairs.
With her biting response he came crashing back to reality. He was painfully reminded of the fact that she now hated him. If she didn’t hate him, she certainly did a very good job of pretending she did, Harry thought. What had he been thinking last night when he daydreamed about their children and their life together? With a sigh he followed her disappearing form down the stairs to begin what was sure to turn out to be another lonely day at Grimmauld Place.
During the day he had managed to steer clear of her. He did manage to talk Ron into a game of chess at one point, which was a much needed diversion. However, the rest of his day seemed to drag on and on, but never more so than at dinner when they were forced to sit together at the same table. She deliberately was avoiding his gaze and refused to enter any conversation that involved Harry in anyway. After a bit, he excused himself and got up to leave the icy atmosphere of the kitchen.
That night in his room he began to consider the amulet again. He had so enjoyed just watching her memories through her eyes. ‘What could it hurt?’ he thought. He waited until the last sounds of the day had waned, then quietly he move to her room again. This time he’d be smarter though he thought as he levitated a chair silently to her bedside. He didn’t reckon falling to the floor every night could be very good for his body. He’d hoped that he wouldn’t simply fall out of the chair and wake her up. Luckily he only slumped over as his limp body was vacated by his consciousness and he entered her dream world once again.
And so it went. Night after night he’d slip silently into her room and enter her dreams to be close to her. He’d watch as she’d dream of everything from her childhood to fearful images of taking exams under Snape’s watchful nose.
His nights were heaven. As he learned more and more about her through her dreams he seemed to fall more and more in love with her.
Then, as if he were the subject of a rather cruel joke, day after day she’d treat him even colder than she had on the last. It seemed as though she were becoming even angrier with him, if that were possible, but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why. He was giving her space. He wasn’t trying to talk to her or spend time with her, but somehow when their paths crossed she was increasingly spiteful to him with each passing day.
He continued to wonder about that until one night, he found out why.
That night he had entered her dream just as he usually did and found himself on the path near the bank of the river at Grimmauld Place. It was the spot that she had first confessed her feelings to him and the very spot that the two of them had first begun this rift between them.
Ginny was sitting on the ground alone near the water and had her legs curled up against her body as she rested her chin on her knees. She looked sad and lonely. Harry wanted to reach out to her, but didn’t know what to do. After all, she was dreaming and he wasn’t sure exactly what would happen next.
Before he could make any decisions, she spoke. “Why are you doing this to me? Why do you haunt me so?” she asked sadly.
Harry froze for a second. Was she actually talking to him? He found himself looking around to see if there was someone else nearby. When he saw no one, he had to ask himself. ‘Does she know I’m here?’ He had been so careful to hide himself, how could she have known?
“I can feel you, just like before when I was calling you to me in my nightmares. I know when you’re here.” She said as if in answer to his thoughts.
Swallowing hard he stepped out of the shadows and moved slowly to where she sat. “I’m sorry Gin. I didn’t know. I just…I miss you Ginny. You won’t even look at me anymore. It’s killing me.”
She spun around on her spot to look at him. There was fury and tears in her eyes. “It’s killing YOU?!” she snapped. “What do you think you’re doing to me? You keep coming into my dreams! Your presence is…it’s all around me! How do you think that makes me feel when I know you won’t let us be together?”
She answered her own question before he could even speak, “It hurts Harry! It hurts like hell! I can’t be near you during the day because some wounds just don’t heal that easily, especially when you keep ripping them open night after night! Did you honestly think that it would all just disappear and we’d be able to go back to being friends after what happened between us? I can’t do that! It’s just too painful! Maybe someday I’ll be able to, but not now. It’s too raw. It’s too painful now.”
Harry wasn’t at all prepared for this confrontation. As he stood gaping down at her in alarm and surprise, he wasn’t quite sure what to say in response. He had no idea that she had known of his nightly visits into her subconscious. He suddenly felt a bit like a voyeur and felt guilty for invading her private thoughts and memories.
“I’m sorry Ginny. I didn’t know that you knew. Please believe me. I had no idea that I was hurting you. I just wanted to be near you. I’m really sorry. It was selfish of me.” He finished looking down at his feet.
“Well, I’m sorry too Harry, but I can’t do this. If you have to leave me, I wish you would just leave. Stop lingering in my mind and just leave me to deal with this on my own. I can’t take this much longer.” She paused trying to rein in her emotions and remain strong.
“That’s why I was waiting here for you tonight. I needed to ask you to stop. Please, just leave me alone Harry.” She said quietly.
“If you care for me at all, you have to stop torturing me this way.” There were sincere tears of sadness filling her eyes as she fought to hold them back.
“If I’d have known it was hurting you, I never would have continued to enter your dreams that way. It’s just that I was so lonely for you.” He said looking down at her.
“Ginny, please try to understand. There is no one I’d rather be with than you. Believe me, I’ve had lots of time alone to think about us, but I’m trying to protect you. Why can’t you understand? You deserve better. You deserve a life with someone who isn’t marked for death. Don’t you understand? I want you to have more than what I can give. We’re still young. You’re too young to give up your happiness for me. You should have someone who at least has a chance at giving you a future.”
“This isn’t easy for me either Gin. I know that you think it is, but it isn’t. Do you really believe that I want to be alone? I’m trying to do what’s best for you.” He finished beginning to feel his chest tighten and his eyes fill as well.
She looked up into his eyes as her bottom lip began to quiver. “Harry, why can’t you see that you ARE what’s best for me? I love you. I want to face whatever comes by your side.”
“The fact is Harry, regardless of what you do or don’t do now; I’m already a mark for Voldemort. That isn’t going to change. He knows what type of person you are. He knows that no matter if you and I are together or not that you’ll come for me either way. That is true isn’t it?”
Harry looked at her then responded quietly, “Yes, you know I would. I will always be there if you need me.”
“Tell me Harry, if we agree that I’m already in danger of Voldemort’s actions and we agree that you’ll do whatever it takes to help me, then why exactly are you refusing to allow yourself to be happy in the meantime?” She asked.
Harry was silent. She had a point. The only real difference would be that between horrible times, they’d have each other. “I…er…well, what if it gets worse?” he asked almost as if he were grasping for reasons to rationalize his decision.
“Then we’ll face it together.” She said as she slid her hand gently into his.
“I don’t know Gin.” He answered as he looked down at her fingers that were now slowly interlocking with his. It felt so good to feel her touch him again and he felt his heartbeat begin to quicken.
As he looked into her eyes he felt himself losing control of the moment. He whispered, “If something ever happened to you because of me I’d…”
She stopped him as she reached up covering his lips again with her hand gently just as she had done as they lay on the blanket together weeks earlier. “Shhh…” Her expression was indescribable, he thought. It was if she was looking into his soul as she held his gaze before speaking.
“If you don’t love me,” she said softly, “just tell me.” She paused before saying somewhat painfully, “Say it now, and then let me go. Don’t ever return to my dreams and stay away from me at school.”
“But, if you do; if you love me, please help me find a way to fix this. Don’t you think we both deserve whatever happiness we can have?” she asked him pleadingly.
Harry couldn’t answer. He was so torn with mixed emotions. His needs to protect her and comfort her were battling fiercely inside of his mind as she continued.
“Don’t you realize that none of us know how long we have? Voldemort or not, life is an uncertainty. You have to stop thinking like it’s only your world that may end tomorrow. Whether you like it not, we’re all in this together. You can’t protect me from what will happen in the future, because it will happen whether we’re together or not.”
“Now tell me, do you love me?” she asked.
“It’s…it’s not that simple Ginny.” He replied in desperation.
“It is that simple if you let it be.”
“Please Harry, I need to know. Do you love me?” she asked again biting her bottom lip nervously and unwittingly driving him crazy as she did.
She had no idea of the power she wielded with that simple act nor did Harry understand why it nearly drove him to insanity every time he watched her do it. Trying to pull his eyes from her mouth, he was left completely speechless at her heartfelt plea.
His silence seemed to speak volumes to her though as she finally allowed a tear to break free and roll down her cheek. She began to pull away from him and turned to face the water. She had obviously taken his lack of answer as a no.
Harry watched her as her shoulders began to shudder with her silent tears. He felt horrible for hurting her again. The truth was he wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe that it would be alright and if it wasn’t, they’d deal with whatever went wrong when it came. As he looked at her he ached to reach out and take away her pain.
As her words settled over his mind he realized he had no choice now. He was lost without her. He couldn’t face another day of silence between them and certainly not a lifetime of loneliness without her. He now knew what he needed to do. He moved to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her now shaking body. She was crying as he pulled her against him. He felt her as she shuddered at his touch.
“Please, Ginny, don’t cry.” He breathed into her ear from behind her. “You were right, Gin I don’t want to let him win.” He moved his hands up to her shoulders and gently turned her to face him. His heart was completely melting as he looked into her eyes. “I need you. You save me, Ginny.”
“When I’m with you, it’s as if you breathe your love of life into me. You make me want to think about the future. You make me want to do everything I can to ensure that I have a future.”
“Please, help me. Bring me to life, Ginny.” He leaned down kissing her tenderly on the forehead as he continued to speak softly to her. “I do love you Ginny.” Again his kiss touched her cheek, just at the edge of her mouth. “I love you more than I ever thought possible.”
Her eyes had fluttered closed at the touch of his lips and the sound of his words. He watched her as she slowly opened them again to look up at him. He smiled a bit as he added, “Please forgive me for being such an insufferable prat.”
She returned his smile and slid her arms up his chest and around his neck. “I’ll think about it.” She teased, and then she hugged him tightly. It felt wonderful to have his arms around her again but, she began to worry that it wouldn’t last. In nearly a whisper she breathed, “Please tell me this is real. I’m afraid that when I wake up, you’ll be gone and this will all have been just a wonderful dream.”
Pulling back to look into her eyes he answered, “It’s real Gin. I promise.” Harry leaned down again tenderly capturing her lips with his. It was the most incredibly loving kiss he had ever felt. Slowly their tenderness turned to desire and without thinking he felt them dropping to their knees together on the ground. He gently laid her back on the grass and moved next to her, never removing his gaze from hers. “I love you Ginny.” He said again before he began kissing her. As he slowly moved down her neck he heard a small gasp come from her.
She whispered “Oh Harry, I love you too.”
With her words, he stopped to look at her as she spoke “It feels so incredible to be with you. I know this is the way it’s meant to be. I can’t imagine feeling so wonderful with anyone else. It just feels so perfect when you touch me. You feel it too, don’t you?”
“Yes.” He breathed. “You make me completely crazy for you, Gin. I could easily lose control when we’re together.” He admitted in a breathy whisper.
“Then please, Harry, make me believe this dream is real. Make love to me. I want to feel how much you love me.”
He stopped and looked at her feeling a bit stunned at her words. “Wha…What?” He responded nervously.
“I mean it Harry. I want to be with you completely.” She said, blushing only slightly at her admission.
He hesitated, imagining what it would feel like to share themselves so completely with each other, then sighing deeply he answered. “I want you Ginny; please don’t ever doubt the effect that you have on me. You have no idea how much I want you, but not like this.”
She looked up at him confused. “I don’t understand.” She said then added with worry creeping back into her voice, “Please, don’t tell me you’ve already changed your mind about us.”
Smiling warmly down at her he said, “No, I haven’t changed my mind, love. It’s definitely not that. It’s just that this is a dream isn’t it? When we finally do make love, I want it to be as two fully awake, fully aware people. I want to feel everything; experience everything that I share with you.”
“But this feels real doesn’t it?” she smiled as she rubbed her body against his painfully hard arousal.
Harry groaned, “God Ginny, please, don’t do that. You aren’t playing fair.” He begged as he struggled to remember his reason for waiting. “Just trust me. When that happens between us, when I do make love to you, I want to be with you physically. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m asking you to be patient for me. Can you do that?”
She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and a bit of a mischievous grin, “Just how long do we have to wait?” but as she finished her sentence Harry had suddenly disappeared from her arms. He was gone and she was alone again in her dreams.
How could he just leave like that? She sat up and looked out over the river. She looked out feeling sad and as though he had just abandoned her again. Then off in the distance she heard something. It was a voice calling out to her. She suddenly realized it was Harry. She rose from her seat and began walking toward the path back to the house and away from the river. As she entered the path suddenly, it grew dark.
She felt her body against something warm and soft. In the next moment she realized that she was waking up and that it was Harry calling to her. “Ginny, love, wake up.” He said as he gently shook her shoulders. He had moved from his chair on was sitting on the bed beside her smiling down at her.
Coming to her senses, she smiled too and looked up at him. “Harry? You are real, aren’t’ you? Are you really here?” she asked.
“Yes, Ginny and I really do love you. I guess it’s time I stopped running from happiness and decided to accept it.” He took her hand in his and kissed her finger tips softly. Then looking back at her appraisingly in her nightgown he added with a bit of a smirk and a raised eyebrow, “Now, what were you asking before we woke up? Oh yes, you ‘wanted something’ I believe. You were wondering how long I wanted us to wait.” He said teasing her. “A bit of a cheeky one, aren’t you?” He smiled as he teased.
“Stop Harry. Don’t tease me, not about this.” She begged.
Turning more serious he said, “Alright, I’m sorry. What if I said I wasn’t teasing? What if a said that I was thinking about the fact that I’m here now. What if I said that I’ve noticed that we’re very much awake and very much alone at the moment in your bed?” He moved to pull her body to his and added suggestively, “We’re not dreaming now are we?”
His eyes were growing darker with desire by the moment as he added, “Besides, who am I to deny such a beautifully convincing girl? Frankly, I just don’t think I’m that strong.” He added with a playful smirk. Ginny was watching him as he was beginning to look a bit like an animal moving in for the kill.
She was startled a bit at his change of heart but collected herself and responded with a giggle. “Oh, is that so Mr. Potter? Well then, I suppose I’ll just have to be strong enough for the both of us, won’t I?”
Giggling? That wasn’t exactly the response he had hoped to elicit from her. He stopped dead and asked, “What? I thought…God Ginny, I want you so much. You’re killing me here.”
“Well…” she said becoming a bit embarrassed over how forward she had been before, “I’m sorry Harry about before. I think I lost my head for a minute. You do that to me you know.”
“Don’t be sorry. I liked it. You have no idea how incredibly sexy it was to hear you tell me what you wanted. That you wanted me as much I as want you. Do you have any idea how hard that was for me to say no to? If you give me the chance, I’m sure I could remind you of why you ‘lost your wits.’ Please love, won’t you just let me try?” He said a bit hopeful.
Ginny smiled looking up at him. He was leaning over her as she lay back against her pillows. “I’m sorry, but I think you were right, Harry. We should wait.”
“We…we should wait? Er…did I actually say that?” He asked as if it was dumbest thing he’d ever said.
“Yes Harry, you did and I think it was very sweet of you to do that. I know you’d never take advantage of me like that when I was feeling so emotionally overwhelmed. After all, we have only just begun. We have all the time in the world now.”
With a sigh of disappointment he said, “Yes, I guess you’re right. But know this Ginny Weasley; I intend to spend as much time as I have, no matter how long that is, reminding you what you mean to me.”
“Someday, when you’re ready, I am going to show just how much I love you.”
“That sounds lovely Harry.” She sighed happily.
With that he leaned over and kissed her sweetly. “I think I’d better go now before my resolve to remain a gentleman wears off.” He said. “Good night, Ginny. Sweet dreams love.”
“Good night Harry. I love you.”
The End
A/N: Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read my story. This story is currently in rewrite with the benefit of a beta. The version you have just read was the original. I have been working to improve it and posting it at PS if you're interested. If you have enjoyed it and would like to know what happened after, there is a sequel currently in progress. It is entitled A Dream of Hope. I will begin posting it here within the week. Thanks again for your readership and your feedback. :)
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