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Stoicism (and the Breakdown of...) | ||||||
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Category: Post-HBP Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley Genres: Angst, Drama, Fluff, Romance Warnings: Sexual Situations Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 61 Summary: COMPLETED. When something hurts too much, when it distracts you from your purpose, it's better to push it away--right? A short story about Harry and Ginny's journey after Dumbledore's funeral. Sometimes, happiness just has to wait. Hitcount: Story Total: 37793; Chapter Total: 6260 |
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Harry and Ginny stood, panting together amidst the battle surrounding them. Everywhere they turned, their friends and family members were fighting Death Eaters–the air was thick with dust, spells and screams. Harry caught sight of Remus Lupin trading spells with Peter Pettigrew. Ron and Hermione were battling Snape, Draco Malfoy lay prone on the ground beside them. The blond-haired boy’s eyes were vacant, his wand snapped in half underneath him. Ginny turned to find Lucius Malfoy moving towards them and something reared its head inside of her. This was the man who had stuck an innocent looking diary into her cauldron when she was only 11 years old. His malice-filled eyes were locked on Harry; no doubt he was hoping to bring him as some sort of prize to Voldemort. But as Ginny stepped in front of Harry, Malfoy’s eyes focused on her and his mouth twisted into a grin. Ginny noticed a tall, snakelike figure behind Malfoy and realised with a horror she’d not been prepared for, just how much Tom Riddle had twisted his body into something that was no longer human. “I’ve got Malfoy,” she said over her shoulder to Harry, her eyes locked on Malfoy’s progress towards them. “You’ve got to go for Tom. It’s time, Harry.” Harry nodded and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it hard. “Come find me when you’re finished.” He said it with a positive tone in his voice–he would not allow himself to imagine that Ginny could not beat Malfoy. She bent her head and brushed her cheek against the hand on her shoulder. “I will.” She felt a soft brush of his lips against the nape of her neck and then he was gone. She fought for what seemed like hours. Malfoy was the most powerful Death Eater she’d ever faced. He taunted and teased her, and forced her to use every wily trick she learned from McGonagall and her older brothers. But she was younger and just a bit faster. Finally, she caught him with a Reducto curse on his wand arm, causing him to drop his wand. She was about to stun him when a better idea occurred to her and she swept her leg underneath his feet, forcing him to drop to his knees. She reared back her fist and punched him solidly in the nose. Then she stunned him. She turned, breathing heavily to find Harry locked in a fierce battle with Tom. Harry was moving so fast it was hard to judge how he was doing but she could see he was defending himself more than he was attacking. As if he had known where she was the entire time and was waiting for such a moment as this, Voldemort suddenly whipped around and pointed his wand in her direction. Harry watched in horror, his worse fears coming true as Ginny sailed through the air towards Voldemort who caught her and spun back around to face Harry, his wand pressed against Ginny’s neck. “So,” he said, “the littlest Weasley at last. The one who found my diary I’m told. And managed to get herself rescued by the famous Harry Potter.” Ginny struggled against the thin arms that held her tightly. “Give it up, Tom,” she hissed at him. “Harry’s going to kick your arse.” “Not as long as I’ve got you,” he chuckled in her ear. “Harry!” he called out. “Look what I found!” Harry held his wand trained on Voldemort. He was gasping for breath, his lungs and heart burning, but he couldn't tell if it was because he had never fought so hard before or if he was filled with fear for Ginny. “Let her go,” he shouted. Voldemort held Ginny away from him, his wand still pressed against her neck. Her eyes were fastened on Harry and he knew she wasn’t scared for herself–only for him. She’d always put him first and Harry knew he would never be loved so deeply by anyone else. Her eyes slid to the ground in front of her, directing Harry’s attention to her wand that had slipped out of her hand as Voldemort had plucked her out of the air. Harry grasped her meaning right before Voldemort shouted, “CRUCIO” and she fell to the ground writhing and screaming in pain. Harry didn’t even bother to tell Voldemort to stop; he dove for the wand in front of Ginny and pushed it closer to her hand. She managed to clench it in her fist, despite the pain he could see was wracking her body. Voldemort chose that moment to turn the spell on him and he collapsed next to Ginny, intense pain blinding his vision until all he could see was the red blur of her hair. Ginny cried out and threw herself over Harry’s body, protecting him from the spell. She lay twitching on top of him as the spell took its toll on her already damaged body. He forced himself to focus on her face and lifted a shaking hand to her face. “I love you,” he managed in a hoarse voice. “Do you hear me, Ginny? I love you dammit. I love you, I love you, I love you.” The curse stopped and he heard Voldemort laughing. “Ah, young love,” he said. “So tragic, Potter. Just like your parents, I believe. Pity you’ll both meet the same fate.” “Who is she?” Voldemort hissed at him. “That she would die for you like this? Your one true love, Potter?” Harry ignored him and kept his eyes locked on Ginny’s. “Finish it,” she gasped at him, her eyes rolling back in her head. “Do it, Harry.” Harry looked at Voldemort–a snake of a man who didn’t and couldn’t understand why Ginny Weasley or Lily Potter had thrown themselves in front of Harry in order to protect him. It wasn’t because he was special or because he was the Chosen One and it never had been–it was because he was just plain Harry, and they loved him. Harry wondered if Tom Riddle had ever had someone who loved him. He thought not. He looked back at Ginny who was nearly passed out on top of him because she had taken a curse for him. His heart swelled until he thought it would burst. “I’ll tell you who she is,” he said, turning murderous eyes on Voldemort who was looming over them. “She’s mine. And you can’t take her away from me.” Harry kept one hand on Ginny’s face and gripped his wand with the other. He lifted the wand just as Voldemort’s mouth began forming the words that would end Ginny’s life. Harry could have rolled over, could have taken the curse for her, as she would have done for him. But he remembered the promise he’d made to her and took his one chance. Time stopped. A bright light from atop the hill distracted the fighters and the battle slowed, both sides turning to watch their champions. The remaining Death Eaters grinned when they saw their Dark Lord standing over a fallen Harry Potter. Molly Weasley clutched her heart when she realised that her only daughter was draped limply across the Boy-Who-Lived. Hermione Granger stood over her former Potions professor, breathing heavily as she watched her best friend’s eyes light up with something she could not name. Remus Lupin turned from watching the life ebb away from a Marauder-turned-traitor to see his best friend’s son raise his wand, determination written on his face as he clutched the woman he’d claimed he didn’t need to his chest. In that one moment, driven by something more powerful than Voldemort could ever understand, Harry was faster than Voldemort. His arm shot up and he yelled “REDUCTO” as loud as he could. The powerful spell, fired by Harry’s desire to hurt anyone who would dare to hurt Ginny, hit Voldemort in the chest and blasted a hole in him the size of a Quaffle. His body was blown back with the force of the spell and landed on its back several feet away from Harry and Ginny. Ginny lifted her head and used what little energy she had left to twist around and raise her wand to point it at what was left of Tom Riddle. “Incendio,” she shouted and Voldemort’s body erupted in flames, burning the former dark lord into ashes. Harry slumped back to the ground, Ginny collapsed on top of him. She was trembling but he couldn’t muster the energy to wrap his arms around her. They lay there for several minutes until the pain subsided and eventually he became aware of Ginny whispering something into his chest. He strained to listen and realised with a jolt what she was saying. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” she was chanting over and over again into his shirt. He lifted shaking arms to her shoulders and used his returning strength to lift her up so he could look her in the face. She was crying, her tears dripping down her face and wetting the leather of his jacket. “Ginny,” Harry said, shaking her a little. “I know. I love you too, remember? It’s over. He’s gone. We did it.” Ginny stopped her chanting, his words sinking in. “Are…are you sure?” she asked, tremulously. “I’m not dreaming?” “No love,” he said tenderly. “You’re not. He’s really gone. I can feel it.” He tapped the scar on his forehead. “Then…then, we’re both alive?” “Yes,” he said firmly. “I’m pretty sure anyway, especially if the way every bit of my body is aching is any indication.” “Oh,” she gasped. She sat up, ignoring her own aches and pain and began running her hands all over his chest and arms. “Are you hurt? Are you okay?” His hands captured hers. “I’m fine, it’s just the effects of the Cruciatus. It’ll get better in a little bit.” Ginny sat, straddling his waist and stared at him in awe. “You did it, Harry. You really did it.” She gave a sob and leaned down, pressing frantic kisses all over his face. “I knew you could do it,” she said, between kisses. “I knew you could.” “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you,” he grunted. His arms came up and settled on her hips. “Ginny, Ginny…wait…stop…I have to tell you something.” “What Harry?” She stopped and sat back up, her eyes searching his. Harry lay on the ground suddenly realizing that his whole life stretched before him. An immense burden had been lifted from his shoulders and his heart--he felt more free than...well...ever. Voldemort was gone and judging from the celebrations going on around him, the rest of the world knew it. But the only thing that mattered to him, was currently sitting on his stomach. He had to do something about that. He grasped Ginny’s hands in his own. “I love you,” he said firmly. Ginny smiled at him. “I know, Harry. I love you too.” Harry closed his eyes for a moment letting the freedom of the words wash over him. He opened them back up and said, “I’m going to kiss you then and make it official.” He rolled her onto her back and settled between her thighs. The position felt familiar and new at the same time. His rested his weight on her and lifted his hands to her face, smoothing the hair back from it. His hands were shaking, he noticed and he suspected they too didn’t quite believe this was real. He bent his head to hers and Ginny whispered, “Finally,” just before he allowed his lips to touch hers for the first time in over a year. Harry swore he could hear Phoenix song. Her lips were as soft as he remembered and they met his eagerly. Their mouths moved together as if they had never stopped kissing each other, as if Voldemort had never interfered and Harry was shocked to find tears from his own eyes wetting both of their faces. Her lips parted and he swept his tongue inside her mouth, groaning, as he tasted her for the first time all over again. Ginny’s arms tightened around him and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Their tongues tangled together in a dance neither one of them had forgotten. Harry’s hands began roaming and he stroked her sides, remembering the curves he’d once traced with ease. Harry wasn’t sure where this sudden energy was coming from–they’d both just been in a battle for their lives after all. But the pain had receded and all he could think about was the fact that his body, his mind and his heart felt more alive than they ever had. He needed to get closer to her so he could feel even more. The desire inside of him rose swiftly and he knew Ginny felt it too when she tore her mouth from his to tug at the fastenings of his leather jacket. “Off, off,” she chanted. “Need to touch you.” Harry lifted himself off her body and pulled at the jacket. “I love you,” he panted. “More than anything.” “It’s over, Harry,” she said wonderingly, her brown eyes wide in her glowing face. “It’s really over and we-“ her hands reached for his, stilling them. “We can be together.” “I know,” he choked, the tears threatening to spill again. “I’m never going to leave you again, I promise.” He left the jacket on and leaned down to kiss her again, slanting his mouth over hers. They kissed fiercely and more passionately then he had ever thought they could. Her hands moved between them and finished unbuckling the jacket, shoving it down his shoulders. He helped her get it past his wrists and he threw it to the ground, his hands immediately moving to unfasten the buckles on her own jacket. He impatiently shoved the leather aside, moaning in satisfaction as he cupped her breasts through her thin t-shirt, his palms chafing her tight nipples. He broke the kiss to trail wet kisses down her throat. “Need you,” Harry panted between kisses. “Need you so much.” “Yes,” Ginny gasped, arching against him. “Please, hurry.” She frantically pulled his t-shirt out of his leather trousers and slid her hands up his back, tracing the new muscles he’d developed since they broke up. “Actually,” a new voice broke crisply through the desire-charged haze in Harry’s brain, “we’d really rather you didn’t.” Harry and Ginny both froze. Harry’s hand was halfway up Ginny’s shirt, his head buried in the side of her neck. Ginny’s hips were thrust against his pelvis, frozen in mid-air, both arms wrapped around his near naked back. “Harry,” she said in a low voice somewhere from the vicinity of his throat. “Please tell me my whole family did not just witness our reunion.” Harry swallowed and lifted his head to find the Weasley family, Remus, Tonks, Hermione, Professor McGonagall and most of the Order standing in a semi-circle around them. Remus and Tonks looked like they were trying not to laugh; Hermione looked like she was about to cry, and the Weasley family looked shocked. He turned his gaze to find Professor McGonagall looking down at them disapprovingly. It was she who had stopped them. “Hey,” Harry said weakly. “Voldemort’s gone.” |
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