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Author: Tosca Story: The Year of Secrets Rating: Young Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 4 Words: 71,798
Chapter 6 When the students began to file into the Gryffindor common room as they arrived back from their holidays, they took almost no notice of the subdued and silent couple sitting on opposite sides of the room. Harry was slumped in his favorite chair by the hearth, looking into the leaping flames with a brooding expression that most of his companions figured had to do with the approaching school day tomorrow. Ginny sat on the window seat on the other side of the room, staring off into the snow-swirled sky with unreadable eyes. She barely looked over to acknowledge her returning friends, so lost was she in her own little world. The incriminating evidence in the common room had been fixed earlier this morning, like the transfigured beds, and the ring was safely around her neck on the chain, hidden by her thick jumper. That was the sight that reached a red-cheeked Ron and Hermione as they walked into the common room, and they stopped dead in their tracks, feeling quite displeased. Ron leaned over to her ear. "Didn't we leave them in these exact bloody positions?" "Oh dear. I thought..." Hermione bit her bottom lip anxiously. "You don't think they're still fighting, do you?" "Bloody well looks like it." Ron ignored the half-scolding look on her face as he spoke. "Would you like to talk to Harry, or shall I tackle him first?" Lightly, she squeezed his arm. "I'll talk to Ginny first, and then I'll come over to you two. Maybe it isn't as bad as it looks." Smiling slightly, she made her way through the bustling room over to Ginny's place on the window. The younger girl didn't notice her approach, and when Hermione touched her shoulder, she was startled. "Hermione! I didn't know you were back. Did you have a nice holiday?" Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Did you?" Ginny resisted the urge to blush under Hermione's piercing gaze, schooling her features to complacency. She knew it must seem like she and Harry were still fighting, by the way it looked at first glance, but in reality she and Harry had spent the last few hours kissing each other whenever possible. When they saw the first carriage of students pull up to the doors, their little bubble had popped and they had strayed to opposite sides of the room with great reluctance. The wedding ring rested in the valley between her breasts and she felt its weight keenly as she struggled to reply to Hermione. "I did have a good holiday, actually. I got quite a bit of work done, and—" Hermione waved her hand, cutting Ginny off in mid-sentence. "That isn't what I meant. Why does Harry look like he just sat through five straight days of Potions?" She pursed her lips unhappily. "I really thought you would be able to patch this little row up by being alone together. Are you still fighting?" Sighing, Ginny touched Hermione's arm. "No. We're all right, Hermione. Harry just has a lot on his mind right now, that's all. We're friends, don't worry." The smile of relief on Hermione's face made Ginny wish she could tell the older girl everything that had happened, just to make sure it had happened. "I'm glad, Ginny. I really wanted you two to make up." "'Mione! What's taking you so long?" Hermione cringed at Ron's deliberate use of his nickname for her as he called across the room from Harry's chair. "I really hate it when he does that," she muttered, causing Ginny to giggle. "That's why he does it. I think he likes it when you're angry at him," she said, smiling cheerfully. With a long-suffering sigh, Hermione patted Ginny's shoulder and made her way over to Harry and Ron, glaring at the latter with hidden affection. Ginny watched the trio for a moment, smiling distantly. Harry was very lucky to have friends such as them, and she knew he knew it. "Hullo, Ginny!" She glanced to her side and saw Neville grinning at her, a content look in his eyes. She had been so wrapped up in her troubles with Harry, schoolwork, and Quidditch, that she hadn't had a lot of time to talk to Neville over the past few months. Smiling at him, she made a promise to talk to both him and Luna more in the coming term. It was no good to forget your friends, especially in times of turmoil. "Hi, Neville. How was your holiday?" "Quite good, thanks. Gran was in a good mood the whole time I was there, which made everything better," he said, coming to stand next to her. "How was yours?" Ginny replied in kind, and they spent a few minutes catching up. He left her to go find Luna around the castle, and she was left alone once more. The common room began to empty, most students tired from their journeys and ready for sleep. The fourth-year girl and her friends who had praised Ginny for her words to Malfoy came over to say hello before they went up to the dormitory, as did Colin, making Ginny feel quite content as she watched the snow fall onto the dark grounds. Soon only the trio by the hearth was in the common room with her, causing Ron to notice her solitude. "Ginny, what are you doing over there? Don't you want to know how Mum and Dad are?" He waved her over. Sighing, she picked herself up and walked over, smiling amiably. "How are Mum and Dad, Ron? Did they miss me?" Ron grinned. "Why should they? They had me there, didn't they?" She stuck her tongue out at him, feeling slightly put out by his tease. Hermione smacked his arm, glaring. Looking wounded, Ron rubbed the sore spot. "I was just joking! Yeah, they missed you. It was only me, Hermione and her parents, and Fred and George. Small for us, eh?" He cracked a grin. Ginny's brow furrowed. She passed over the omission of Percy; she hadn't spoken to him in over a year. But not hearing Charlie's or Bill's names disturbed her. Surely Dumbledore hadn't sent both her older brothers off on a mission? "What about—" "They're on the Continent for Dumbledore, ok? I can't tell you anything else," Ron cut her off, voice low. She pursed her lips unhappily. There he went again, being the protective older brother, not telling her anything important. It infuriated her, and she expected Hermione to smack him again. Strangely, the older girl was silent, face unmoved. Rage filled Ginny, and she wanted to scream at all of them. She was almost bloody sixteen and she had faced some of the same things as they had! What made them better than she? Her mouth was opened partway when Harry spoke up. "Thanks for the gift, Ron; those Cannons souvenirs are great. And your book of charms is going to come in handy, Hermione. Thanks, both of you," he said casually, shooting Ginny a glance. She sighed silently and looked away. Harry was right to stop her; she'd only stir up bad feelings, and she really didn't want to begin the new year with any fights. When she tuned back to the conversation, Hermione was thanking Harry for his gift of a book on wandless magic. "I'm so thrilled to learn more about it! You know, only a handful of wizards have been able to successfully perform spells with wandless magic. It's very rare," the older girl said with an eager tone. Ron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, thanks Harry. It's her new favorite book on the bedside table," he deadpanned, slinging an arm around Hermione's shoulders. Ginny raised an eyebrow, rising to his opening. "And how would you know what books are on Hermione's bedside table, eh?" Ron choked and grew quite red as Hermione blushed furiously and Harry began to laugh heartily. Ginny smirked at her brother, feeling a bit mollified from his earlier jab. "I suppose Mum gave you ‘the Talk', right?" she asked, grinning wickedly. From his place on his chair, Harry began to wheeze from lack of air as the couple turned even redder, confirming Ginny's thoughts. She smiled contentedly, and sat down on the arm of Harry's chair. "That's what I thought. If I had to get one, then you should've definitely got one," she said unthinkingly, cringing as Ron's eyes widened. "When did you get one? Do you have a boyfriend I don't know about? Who's the slimy wanker?" he exclaimed, towering over Ginny as Hermione tried to placate him. Harry began laughing harder, wheezing for breath. Ginny reckoned it was more because of the memory of ‘the Talk' they had got when they had told her parents in August than because of Ron's displeasure at her words. "Mum gave me one when she found out about Dean. Will you relax, Ron? Don't be so protective. I can have a boyfriend if I want," she said hotly. Ron did not look very happy at her words. "Bloody boyfriend my arse," he muttered, running a hand through his thick hair. Hermione smacked him lightly on the shoulder for the curse, and he grinned at her. Ginny rolled her eyes. "Couples," she grumbled. "I'm going up to bed. Try not to kill Harry tonight, Ron. He probably won't stop laughing for days." Suppressing a knowing smile, she waved to the trio and headed for the girls' dormitory, trying not to laugh as Harry continued to chuckle despite Ron's orders to stop and tell him what was so funny. Ron would definitely kill him if he found that one out. ~*~ January hit with a vengeance, bringing frosty temperatures and heavy snows. Despite this, Ron held Quidditch practices like a drill sergeant, ordering six AM practices during the week and seven PM drills for the weekends. Sometimes, Harry was so wiped out that he would drop off to sleep in the changing rooms after practices, no matter what the time. All the males on the team thought it was amusing; one night, after he dragged himself into the common room at ten-thirty-–an hour and a half after the end of practice--for the sixth time, Ron commented that he must be doing this on purpose. It was only a coincidence that Ginny always seemed to be able to sneak away and wake him up when he did those sorts of things. With his hectic schedule, something seemed to be nagging at him. Harry felt like he was forgetting some vital piece of information, something he knew was important. It bothered him to no end, and he didn't know what to do with himself. He couldn't work out what it was for the life of him. Finally, after dealing with his distractedness for almost three weeks, Ginny, who had been rather annoyed, told him to let it go and that it would come to him when he needed it. Since she had spoken to him, he had felt a bit more relaxed about his life and he appreciated it. With the news of Muggle attacks by Death Eaters coming from both the ‘Daily Prophet' and Dumbledore, Harry was putting pressure on himself to find a way to act. In response, he had thrown himself into his schoolwork, eliciting comments from all his professors, even Snape, when his grades began to climb upward. Professor McGonagall spoke to him specifically one day after Transfiguration, saying that if he kept this kind of work up, he would be well on his way to becoming an Auror. He had really wished Umbridge had been there to hear that one. It was near the end of January when Fred and George popped by for a quick visit, coming to talk with Dumbledore but covering by doing sales for the Wheezes. Harry was in the common room studying with Ron and Hermione when the twins came in from their visit with the headmaster, both looking remarkably subdued. "How's the group today, mates?" Fred asked as he plopped down on the sofa next to Ron, his dragonhide jacket shining in the firelight. Ron glanced at his brother. "What did Dumbledore say?" he said quietly, turning a page in his Potions book. "Nothing we can talk about right now. Why don't we go outside? A fresh snow has just fallen; perfect for a snowball fight," George said cheerfully, shooting a look at the trio on the sofa. Hermione jumped up, marking her page in her book, and gathered her things. "I'll run up and get Ginny," she called as she raced up the steps. Harry shrugged and nudged Ron. "Let's go get our coats, mate." After a few minutes, everyone was trooping downstairs in their winter gear, looking forward to the wintry afternoon. Ginny had come downstairs looking especially fatigued, but she seemed cheerful enough as they headed outside. Harry managed to walk right beside her as Ron and Hermione walked ahead, trying to ignore the relentless teasing from Fred and George. As they walked into the freezing air, Harry brushed her arm. "Are you all right?" he asked softly. She smiled at him slightly. "Yes, I think so. I had a rough night; weird dreams seem to be plaguing me," she said lightly as they joined the others by the lake. "Speaking of the plague," Fred muttered as he caught her last few words, jerking his head in the direction of the Quidditch pitch. All turned to look and saw Malfoy flying around over the ground, watching lazily as his Qudditch team ran their drills mechanically. Something inside Harry's mind stirred as he watched Malfoy, dark and hidden. He knew something...What was he supposed to remember... "Let's enchant some ice and fly it at him," Ron said gleefully, dropping to his knees to gather up some snow. Grabbing his elbow, Hermione hauled him up and glared at him. "As much as we want to, we can't, Ron! We're prefects!" Ginny shrugged, kneeling. "I'm not." Fred and George groaned. "Hermione, you're no fun," George muttered, cowering as she turned a glare on him. "Bloody Merlin, Ron! She's as bad as Mum!" Fred exclaimed, hiding behind George as they both stifled their laughter. Hermione glared at both of them while flicking her wand in their direction. Instantly, a pile of snow dropped on top of the twins' heads, causing them to fall to their knees with a gasp. Ron and Harry laughed loudly as Hermione smiled primly at the shocked men on the ground. Ginny stopped building her ice mountain to watch the happenings, a grin on her face. Fred was the first to recover, leaping up and pulling his brother up with him. "This is war, mates! Ginny, you're with us! Charge!" he said excitedly, rushing at the Trio with handfuls of snow, George and Ginny close behind. An all-out battle erupted, going on for many minutes. Ron tried valiantly to protect Hermione from the rampage of the gleeful twins, leaving Harry and Ginny to duke it out for themselves. Harry found himself having more fun than he had had in months, the most fun since Sirius' death. Immediately, he pushed Sirius from his mind, and dumped a handful of snow down Ginny's exposed neck. Trying to keep his blood under control, he grinned at her flushed face as she spun around, smacking his arm. "That was a cheap shot, Potter," she said, dark eyes sparkling in the winter sun. Harry smirked. "They're all cheap shots in this world, Ginny." Her brow furrowed. "Let's not be too jolly today, Harry. Too much happiness might make you cheerful," she said, voice laced with sarcasm as she tossed a clump of snow in his face and raced off towards the edge of the lake, laughing merrily. He wiped his eyes quickly and ran after her, catching up easily with his long stride. Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George were still quite preoccupied with burying each other in the snow as Harry grabbed Ginny's wrist, falling into a snow bank in a flurry of arms and legs. Ginny landed beside him in a cloud of snowflakes, shining with laughter as she looked into his eyes, smiling gently. Leaning up on one elbow, he grinned, noticing how the bags under her eyes seemed to stand out even more against the white of the snow and the pale of her skin. Even with her cheerful face, she was worrying him. "Are you sure you're all right, Ginny?" he asked. She sighed and flashed a small grin at him. "So we're all worried about me now, eh? Guess you feel rather relieved," she teased. He shrugged and opened his mouth to reply, but the sounds never left his throat. Sharp, piercing pain sliced through his scar, blinding his mind, and he gasped with the force, dropping his head to bury it in his robes. The touch of Ginny's hands on his head and her panicked words did nothing to assuage the agony, and he clenched his fists as another wave of pain swam over him. "Ron! Hermione! R—" Abruptly, Ginny cut off her cries. Harry could feel the terror spread through her as she kept silent. Footsteps crunched towards them—from the opposite side of where Ron and the others were. He lifted up his head with a struggle, opening his eyes painfully to see Peter Pettigrew standing a few feet from him and Ginny, his wand pointed shakily at Ginny. Another swarm of pain overwhelmed him, but he gritted his teeth and sat up, moving in front of Ginny as to protect her. The scar on his elbow began to ache. "How the hell did you get in here?" Ginny whispered, clutching Harry's shoulder. Pettigrew swallowed nervously. "Master makes all things possible, Virginia. I must be loyal to Master," he said in a monotone, taking a step closer. His silver hand glinted in the bright winter light. "Harry! Harry!" Hermione's screams jarred Harry from the mind-numbing pain enveloping him, and he got to his feet precariously, keeping himself in front of Ginny. "Get out, Wormtail. Don't make me hurt you," he growled, slipping his hand inside his pocket for his wand. Memories of the end of his third year rushed back to the front of his mind, making him feel the ache of Sirius' loss and his own hate towards Pettigrew more poignantly. "I spared you once; don't think I'll do it again." Ginny grasped at his ankle, still on her knees. "Remus is coming, Harry. You can't let him near," she said urgently. Relief flooded through him as he heard her first words. Remus would know what to— Remus was a werewolf. "He can't come near. It's the silver," he whispered, staring at the shining hand and almost becoming blinded. "Harry! Harry, move!" Harry ignored Remus' cries as they came closer to him and stepped closer to Pettigrew. "What do you want and who let you in?" he asked harshly. Pettigrew seemed to be losing his confidence. "No time for that now, Harry. Must obey the Master." He leveled his wand at Harry, looking deathly pale. "Don't try to stop me, or I shall kill him where he stands, and Master wouldn't like that," he whispered as footsteps raced towards him and came to a sudden halt. Harry tensed, prepared to dive. Cries of terror went up around them as Pettigrew screamed a raw "Crucio!" A flash of red swam across Harry's field of vision and he fell to the ground, oddly feeling no pain as something landed on top of him. He wondered if he had moved Ginny out of the line of fire. Suddenly he realized that Ginny was lying on top of him, shaking. His heart stopped. His scar exploded into sudden pain. Five different spells flew past his head as he gathered a shuddering Ginny in his arms and he saw Pettigrew drop to the ground before him. Professors McGonagall and Snape rushed past him to Pettigrew's prone form as he felt a hand on his shoulder, pushing him away from the action. "What happened, Harry?" Lupin asked, sounded shaken to his very core. Harry looked up at him, paler than the snow surrounding him. "He got in..." he trailed off as Ginny stirred against him. He looked down at her face and saw the blatant pain in her eyes. "Oh god," he whispered. She grimaced as another shudder of agony rippled through her. "I dreamed this, Harry..." she breathed. "I dreamed it." Harry's stomach knotted together as she dropped off to unconsciousness. He and Lupin stood together in silence as they heard footsteps come towards them quickly. Finally, the older man touched his shoulder. "Let me float her up to the Hospital Wing, before someone thinks something else is going on," he said softly, waving his wand quickly. Ginny became light as a feather in Harry's arms and he let Lupin take her away, watching bleakly as he walked away. There was no way it could be any worse. A fist connected with his jaw, sending even more pain through his head, and he sprawled to the ground, landing harshly on his side. "What the hell?" he cursed, rubbing his jaw and looking up to his attacker, expecting Malfoy. It was a seething, red-faced Ron. "What the hell do you think you were doing back there?" he exclaimed, towering over him as Hermione rushed over, followed closely by Fred and George. "You almost got my sister killed!" Harry's eyes widened. "What?" "You heard me, you bloody sod! Letting her get hit with an Unforgivable! Some friend you are to her!" he screamed, preparing to advance on Harry. Fred and George clasped Ron's arms, looking positively shocked. "Don't be a bloody idiot, Ron! This wasn't Harry's fault," George said harshly. Hermione went to help Harry up. "Blaming this on Harry is completely ridiculous!" she cried, glaring unhappily at the blazing red-head. Ron scoffed. "Ridiculous, right? He's always getting her in trouble! He practically got her killed in her first year!" Harry froze, staring at Ron like he was a ghost. He couldn't believe Ron was saying these things to him; how could he think this all about him? Bowled over, the twins released their younger brother, backing a few steps away. Hermione gaped at Ron, tears forming in her eyes. He glared at all of them before stalking away, a swirl of black against the stark white of the school grounds. Hermione squeezed Harry's shoulder and raced after him, calling his name tearfully as he headed up to the castle. Fred and George stared at Harry mutely as Dumbledore walked up to them, looking gravely at his young pupil. "Harry, I need to see you in my office in a half-hour. Please be there," he said softly before turning and following McGonagall, who had Pettigrew's body floating at her side, towards the castle. Fred came up to Harry, grasping his shoulder. "It's all right, Harry. Ron was always bit of an idiot when it came to Ginny. He just can't see her as older than ten," he said quietly, George nodding in assent. Dumbly, Harry nodded, letting them guide him up to the castle with clenched fists. * Sitting silently in his chair, Harry could feel the eyes of Remus and Dumbledore on him. After telling them what he had just witnessed, he was feeling quite tired. There was a dull ache in his scar, and he knew Voldemort was pleased. He couldn't understand why; one of his lackeys had just failed in a mission for him. Stomach churning, he clenched his fists at the thought of Ginny lying in the Hospital Wing once more. And it was his fault. Again. "So he got in through the gates. How? Someone would've had to open it for him from the inside," Lupin mused gravely, leaning on Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore sighed. "Harry, did you notice anyone opening the gates of the school?" he asked gently. Harry shook his head. "I wasn't paying much attention, sir," he mumbled. "No one faults you for it, Harry," Lupin jumped in quickly. But it was his fault. He was always bringing the ones he cared for into danger. All he had to do was look at the past June and remember Sirius, and the other members of the Order. He had brought them all to harm, even death. Now, Ginny was suffering at his hand. What could he do to stop the pain from latching onto his family? "I guess this is it, then," he said softly, bringing the attentions of the men back to him. Dumbledore leaned forward, looking extremely concerned. "What do you mean, Harry?" Jerking his head up, Harry gazed straight into the undisturbed blue eyes and his stomach knotted. "Well, I can't keep putting people in danger, and if anyone finds out that Ginny and me...Well..." he trailed off, feeling especially miserable. Lupin touched his shoulder. "Are you saying that you think that you need to push Ginny away because of this incident?" he asked incredulously. Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Not just Ginny. Look what happened in the summer? You all need to live; being with me won't save you," he said defensively. "I think Miss Weasley would have something quite different to say if she heard you right now," Dumbledore commented, a small smile playing at his lips. "Harry, this is not what we want from you. If living meant leaving you alone to fend for yourself, then no one would want any part of it. Sirius would throw you in St. Mungo's if he could hear you," Lupin said forcefully. Trying to shrug Lupin off, Harry slumped in his seat, averting his eyes. "All I do is hurt people," he muttered. There was a moment of silence, and then Dumbledore let out a sigh. "No, Harry. Voldemort tries to hurt the people you love. He only succeeds when you think like this. If you pull away, he has already won," the headmaster said softly. Anguish overwhelmed Harry, and he buried his head in his hands. "But what if they die?" he whispered. All he could see was Ginny's pale, shaking face from this afternoon; Sirius' stricken form as he fell behind the Veil; Cedric's cold body lying in the graveyard, eyes blank and sightless... Hands gripped his arms. "Your parents wouldn't want you to think like this. I remember when James wanted Lily to go into hiding with you, before they performed the Fidelius Charm, and she almost kicked him out of the house for even thinking about splitting the family apart." Lupin's voice cracked and he released Harry. Harry heard his footsteps recede to the hearth. The portraits kept silent as he lifted his head, staring at the back of Lupin's bowed head. Dumbledore cleared his throat softly. "It's a valiant thought, Harry, but it defeats the purpose of even having relationships with people. If you know you're going to tear yourself away anyway, why get emotionally connected with anyone? This is the time to keep your friends closer than ever to you, not push them away," he said kindly, smiling gently at him. Harry took a deep breath and straightened up, nodding at the headmaster. His eyes went to Lupin. "I'm sorry, Remus," he said. No matter what he thought himself, he knew deep inside that both professors were right in what they said. It would take him a while to think like them, but he would accomplish it. For Ginny's sake. Lupin turned around, eyes glistening brightly in the firelight. "Don't worry, Harry. It's good to remember these things," he said, smiling sadly. Dumbledore motioned for Harry to rise. "Why don't you visit Miss Weasley? I've heard from Madam Pomfrey that she should be fully recovered by the morning. You managed to protect her from getting most of the curse, so she'll have very little damage," he commented cheerfully. "I'll see you on Tuesday, as usual." Nodding, Harry gave Lupin a small grin and exited the room, shoving his hands in his pockets. He wanted to go up to Ginny desperately, but he knew Ron would be there. Ron would not want to see him, and he didn't especially want to see Ron at the moment; the wounds from this afternoon were too fresh. The common room didn't sound too attractive at the moment; he didn't want to face all his classmates right now. Not knowing where to go, he started wandering aimlessly, avoiding students as best as he could. Although he was tired, he dreaded sleep; who knew what his dreams would be tonight? ‘I dreamed this, Harry...' He stopped for a moment. She had dreamed it. Had Ginny dreamed of Pettigrew's attack? How was that possible? Was Voldemort still inside her? Feeling sick at the thought, he turned his eyes to the wooden door he had stopped at. It was the Room of Requirement, a place of both good and frustrating memories. The DA hadn't resumed meetings this year, only because Lupin had returned and he was so thorough in everything. Harry actually hadn't been inside the room since his meeting with Ginny, and he was curious to know what he would find if he went inside. What did he need right now? Slowly, he pushed the door open, stepping inside and closing it after him. The sight that met him was astounding. The room was bare. Suddenly, as he looked around in wonder, he realized why. He needed Ginny. ~*~ She didn't feel the pain as much as she knew it was there as she lay in her bed, a crescent moon hanging in the far corner of her window, bright against the starless sky. Her eyes were open, free of sleep; she was too worried to sleep. Little threads of stinging ache shot through her from time to time as she looked out onto the grounds, sighing more than once. She hadn't seen Harry once since he had let Professor Lupin take her up to the Hospital Wing and she was concerned. When she had asked her brothers and Hermione where he was, Ron had glowered angrily as Fred told her he was with Dumbledore, all the while glaring at Ron. Hermione looked positively torn when they had left the room at Madam Pomfrey's insistence some hours ago, whispering something about Ron and Harry not speaking before she was shooed out. Those words had haunted Ginny since then, and she hadn't been able to stop thinking about Harry all night. She knew what a stubborn idiot her brother could be, but she could only hope this was resolved quickly. Harry did not need to be abandoned right now, especially by his closest friend. There was a tiny rustling beside her bed, and she turned to see Harry's lean form being revealed by a swish of his Invisibility Cloak, his face drawn and pale. Immediately she smiled at him, holding out her hand to him. "Hi, Harry," she whispered as he sat on the edge of her bed and took her hand. "Did I wake you?" he asked, voice hoarse with exhaustion. His touch on her knuckles began to soothe her pain instantly. She shook her head. "I've haven't slept at all tonight. What about you?" Harry sighed. "Not a chance. I've been in the Room of Requirement waiting for Madam Pomfrey to go to bed," he replied, shoving a piece of old parchment in his robes pocket. Raising an eyebrow, she gazed at his tired face. "Oh? And what did you find in the room that you required?" she teased lightly, trying to make him smile. To her happiness, a small grin crossed his face momentarily. "Absolutely nothing." Now she was confused. "That doesn't make sense—" "Because I didn't need any material things, Ginny. I needed a person." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I needed you." Her heart fluttered, and she smiled at him, feeling tears gather in her eyes. "Oh, Harry. I'm so sorry." Shaking his head, he shifted closer to her. "No, I'm sorry for this. I promised myself I would never let anyone hurt you, and I failed. Are you all right?" Gazing at him curiously, she reached up with her free hand to brush the fringe from his eyes, revealing his reddened scar for a brief moment. "Of course I am. How are you? I heard Ron was being a bastard to you. What did he say?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair. He sighed, looking uncomfortable. "He's angry at me because you're hurt. He seems to think I have a penchant for trying to get you killed," he said bitterly, running his thumb back and forth across her skin. Anger boiled up inside her, and she huffed unhappily. "You're kidding me! It wasn't your fault! What is he thinking? Prat." Harry laughed quietly, squeezing her hand. "He's just worried for you. It's a family thing." She grinned lightly at him. "You're right; it is a family thing. In Mum's last letter to me, she told me to tell you she's very worried you won't eat enough at meals," she said, sitting up against her pillows. "You're a part of the family, Harry. Ron will get over himself quickly; I'll make sure of it." He gazed at her oddly, eyes dark with something she couldn't place. Her heart sped up as he leaned closer to her mouth, hesitating. She closed the rest of the distance, letting herself unwind as his mouth moved over hers, filling her with a feeling she knew very well when it came to Harry: love. His guilt was quite palpable, even in their brief kiss, and when he pulled away she touched his arm gently. "You know it wasn't your fault, don't you?" she asked hesitantly, searching his gaze. Again, a sigh left his lips and he kissed her quickly again. "I think so. I can't help what I feel, though," he replied. They sat in silence for a moment, letting the connection between their hands soothe and calm them. Then Harry tightened his grip on her hand. "Maybe you should try to sleep," he said quietly. Apprehension washed over her, and she grasped both of his hands tightly. "No. Please don't leave me, Harry. I don't want to sleep," she pleaded, gazing up at him. With any other person, she would feel humiliated to beg for someone's company, but not with Harry. She knew he understood her need for him right now; he too knew the horrors of a deep sleep. Harry didn't hesitate a moment in sliding closer to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she lay her head on his chest. "I can't stay the whole night; I'd be shot in the morning," he whispered, causing a soft laugh to escape her mouth. "Don't be silly; of course you can't stay the whole night. There's Quidditch practice in the morning anyway. Ron won't have the opportunity to come up and find you," she said, muscles relaxing as she felt his chest rise and fall below her cheek. "Just stay until Madam Pomfrey starts to stir. She'll be back around five to check on me, or so she said." He rested his chin on her hair and sighed. "Ginny?" "Hmm?" "If I said that I thought we needed to stop seeing each other, what would you do?" he asked slowly, tensing as the words left his mouth. The breath caught in her throat, and tears smarted behind her eyes. Lifting her head to look him in the eye, she smacked his chest. "I'd hit you and tell you to stop being an idiot! Don't be absurd, Harry. I would never let you do that. You'd have to kill me to make me leave you," she said hotly, eyes burning. Harry gazed at her for a moment before crushing her to his form, burying his face in her hair. "I hoped you'd say that," he muttered, voice muffled by her hair. Kissing his neck, she curled tighter to his body warmth. "I'll always say that, you silly prat. Don't doubt that," she replied softly, rubbing his back soothingly. Neither one of them got a moment of sleep that night. ~*~ He was so close to achieving his master's goal, close enough to taste the victory. Seeing Potter sneak up to the Hospital Wing had confirmed his personal suspicions, but he knew Master would want something more concrete than that. What he needed was physical proof; a touch or a kiss would be exactly the thing. How would he get it? If only Pettigrew hadn't failed! All the bumbling lackey had to do was capture either Potter or Weasley; how hard was that, especially when you had an inside spy? He had set everything up for the sniveling servant, including leaving the gates open in the early morning, and the mission had gone awry! The only thing to do was pay closer attention to them both, especially when they were together. Even stalking them when one of them disappeared without their friends would be sufficient. He didn't suffer through the pain of the Mark to fail on his first assignment; he would be a disgrace to everyone, especially himself. Potter would not escape so easily next time. He would make sure of it. A/N: Thanks a bunch to everyone who has reviewed, and major kudos to Joe! He is my guru. *hugs Joe*
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