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Author: Arnel Story: New Year, New Hope Rating: Young Teens Status: Completed Reviews: 10 Words: 155,257
For some reason, she remained standing beside her bed, gazing at the pouch. The glow from within it was causing the angel she wore beneath her night dress to vibrate slightly. The brightness radiating from the silver bird indicated that Harry was in emotional distress of some sort wherever he happened to be and even though Harry wasn’t wearing the phoenix, he was awake and most likely fighting for control of his thoughts. That in itself wasn’t too hard to guess at considering what the last twenty-odd hours had had in store for the Hogwarts’ community. Ginny pictured Harry’s familiar resigned expression as she remembered that she had forgotten, in her wonder over the pendants’ behaviour, to take something else from her trunk. She unlocked it once more and took out two small vials of grey liquid as well as two goblets she had “appropriated” from the Great Hall on separate occasions within the last two days. The vials joined the goblets and the pouch in her dressing gown pockets; she was finally ready to go downstairs. She entered the common room on tiptoe. The fire had burned low in the grate, but it still gave off enough light for her to make out a lone figure huddled on the old couch. She sighed quietly. I thought we were through with this… “All those people,” Harry murmured as Ginny sat down next to him. “I know, Harry,” she whispered taking his hand. It was ice cold. “How long have you been here?” Harry glanced at his watch. “Almost three hours. I didn’t even bother trying to go to bed.” “Oh, Harry. Only you can take the actions of others and find something extremely personal in them when you had no idea of what was going to happen!” Harry ran his free hand through his hair. “But I did know, Ginny! I did! Friday’s episode at lunch should have alerted me to the fact that Voldemort was planning something evil. I let my guard down and let his thoughts in and then ignored them!” he exclaimed quietly. “If I’d been more willing to share what I knew with Professor Dumbledore, nothing like this would have happened!” Ginny harrumphed. “Don’t be silly. It’s no use berating yourself for what you thought at the time was the right thing to do. No one knows what goes on in Voldemort’s sick mind, but him and the Death Eaters he chooses to confide in. No one on the Light side foresaw what happened last night as far as we know. And even if they had, it’s not your time to do anything about it.” “How do you know that?” Harry demanded. Ginny looked at him sadly. “I just know, Harry. Something deep down inside me just knows.” Harry managed a weak smile. “Woman’s intuition?” “Yeah, something like that,” Ginny grinned back. “How do you know about a ‘woman’s intuition’?” “Something Hermione said earlier in the week during one of her arguments with Ron.” “He did, actually,” Harry said thoughtfully. “It took him an hour of distracted ranting up in our room, but he eventually did figure it out.” “Good for him.” “No. Good for Seamus. He was the one who explained it to Ron who then went to bed muttering over and over about interfering roommates.” Ginny smiled, knowing just what Harry meant. The two fell into what Ginny hoped was a comfortable silence. She still held Harry’s hand which was slowly beginning to warm up. She also kept glancing at him to see if Harry would fall back into his pensive mood. He did. Before long, he sighed. “Merlin, Ginny…I just wish there was some way to stop thinking about those families so much.” “Have you tried your Pensieve?” “Yes, but that still doesn’t shut down my thought processes. Someone left a Daily Prophet on one of the tables and that set me off again.” Frustrated, he stood up and began pacing the hearthrug. “I guess right now I’d settled for slowing my mind down enough to get some sleep. I haven’t been this tired since November.” Ginny stood up and planted herself in front of Harry, effectively stopping his pacing. “I think I’ve found a way,” she said quietly gazing into his troubled face. “But you have to trust me.” Harry scowled. “I trust you already, Ginny. Why would I…What’s that?” Ginny had taken the cloth pouch out of her pocket and was holding it out to him. “Open it, Harry.” He took the little bag and withdrew the phoenix on its long chain. A look of awe crossed his face as he felt the power of the spells Ginny had cast upon it. The silver chain faded from sight where it touched his skin. He walked over to the fireplace to see it better. “Merlin’s beard, Ginny! Does your dad know you had this?” His response was not what Ginny had expected. “Yes. Why?” “Frankly, Ginny, this necklace is dangerous!” Harry exclaimed. “It is not. I’ve had it for years,” Ginny replied somewhat annoyed. “And why would it be so important for my dad to know about something that was mine to begin with?” “Ginny, will you be reasonable? Think about what happened with the diary four years ago! You trusted a magical object that could think for itself!” “This is not like the diary, Harry. It never was.” “Have you felt the magic in this necklace?” “Yes, as a matter of fact. It’s powerful, if that’s what you mean by dangerous!” “Ginny, something this magical is most likely full of Dark magic!” “That necklace is no more a Dark object than my textbook, Harry. For Merlin’s sake, Mum gave it to me! Do you think she’d give me a Dark necklace after what happened with the diary?” she hissed. “And stop treating me like I’m two years old. I get enough of that from my brothers!” “I will when you tell me why you are giving me an obviously magical piece of jewellery.” “It’s mine to give or keep, Harry. And I choose to give it to you a little…enhanced, you could say.” “Enhanced how?” Harry asked warily. Ginny fished her angel from underneath her night dress and held it close to the phoenix which dangled from Harry’s outstretched hand. The two necklaces took on the golden glow Ginny had seen the night she had bound them, but this time, the metal remained cool to the touch. “These necklaces are bound together by a spell I cast on them. I know it’s selfish, but I want to know when you need me. If I did it right, and I think I did, whenever you’re in emotional turmoil like you were a few minutes ago, my pendant will vibrate and I can come to you.” Harry still didn’t look too pleased. In fact, he seemed angrier. “So now you’re invading my head, too! Isn’t it enough that Lord Voldemort is spending an inordinate amount of time trying to get me to do his bidding by sending me all sorts of insidious thoughts?” he hissed furiously. “I didn’t mean it to be like that, you ungrateful prat!” Ginny shot back. “The pendants are only meant to be an alarm bell of sorts so that we can share something else.” “Oh, so I’m an ungrateful prat, am I? That makes me feel a lot better, Ginny. I suppose you’d rather have me running around Hogwarts exposing all of its secrets to Voldemort while you open some sort of triangular connection between the three of us with a silly piece of jewellery.” His words hurt. Ginny snatched the phoenix from Harry’s hand. “Fine. If you don’t want to know the whole story, be my guest! I’m sorry I even bothered to do something nice for you, Harry Potter.” She whirled around intending to scoop up the discarded bag and her textbook and then flounce haughtily back up the Girls’ staircase, but she never got that far. One of the goblets dislodged from her pocket and clattered to the floor as she spun. It rolled under the couch startling Crookshanks who had come downstairs to investigate what the humans were yelling about. The noise made both Harry and Ginny freeze, dispelling the tension between them. Harry was the first to move and he bent down to retrieve the wayward cup still keeping his eyes on Ginny. “Why the goblet?” he asked slowly turning the golden cup over and over in his hands. Ginny took one of the vials out of its pocket and held it out to him. “This is a Draught of Peace, Harry. I thought you might want to get some sleep tonight, so I spent a couple of hours putting up with Moaning Myrtle to make up a batch this afternoon. I guess I was wrong,” she said tucking the vial safely away again. She held out her hand for the cup. “Give me the goblet. I need to return it to the kitchens in the morning.” “The Draught of Peace…” she heard him murmur. “You…brewed the Draught of Peace…for me?” “Yeah, like an idiot, I did.” She could not meet his gaze now. His rejection had cut her to the quick. Harry stepped closer, but did not hand over the goblet. Instead, he opened his arms and drew Ginny to him. They stood together, Ginny with her forehead in the hollow of Harry’s chest, until he said huskily, “You’re not an idiot, Ginny. I am. You asked me to trust you and I didn’t. Will you forgive me?” Ginny looked up at him. She was finally able to meet his emerald eyes. “I’m sorry, too, Harry. I should have waited until you were calmer before showing you the necklace.” Harry stepped back and Ginny felt the loss of contact with him rather acutely. “May I…may I see phoenix, please?” he asked. Ginny handed it over somewhat reluctantly. It felt as if she was parting with a piece of herself which, in truth, she was. The spells she had cast had taken an amazing amount of magic from her and as she was struggling the next day in Charms to silence her crow she had decided that giving Harry a part of herself was probably the best gift she could give him. She had still believed it ten minutes ago because she had been excited about sharing her magic. Now, however, letting go of that part of herself was much harder. What’s that Muggle saying? ‘Once bitten, twice shy’?” It described her frame of mind exactly. She sighed inwardly and silently watched as Harry sat on the sofa and began examining the necklace. He had pulled out his wand and was using it to cast additional light on the pendant and its chain. The phoenix itself wasn’t all that remarkable; it wasn’t particularly detailed or all that pretty and neither was the chain, for that matter. It was the way they reacted when held against the skin. Ginny was proud of this bit of charmwork. The invisibility charm had been rather tricky and it had taken three tries to get it right. It was fun for her to watch Harry play with this aspect of the necklace. “What would happen if I put it on?” he asked. “Try it and see,” she told him smiling. “It won’t hurt.” Harry hesitated a moment before complying. Nothing happened. “Open your shirt and let the phoenix touch your chest, Harry,” Ginny finally directed. He did as he was told. Ginny had to chuckle at the astounded look on his face as the necklace completely faded from sight when it touched his skin. Harry smiled broadly. “I like the effect. Same charm as my cloak?” “Not exactly. Invisibility cloaks are woven from Demiguise hair, so there’s no correlation there. Remember the Disillusionment charm Moody used on you when he and the guard brought you to Grimmauld Place for the first time?” When Harry nodded, she said, feeling more than a little like Hermione probably did when lecturing Ron, “That spell is in a group of temporary invisibility spells which have the same prefix, but use different suffixes. The spell I used began the same way as the Disillusionment charm, but ended quite differently. The last part of the word made the invisibility factor permanent.” At Harry’s raised eyebrow Ginny continued. “Like Mobilicorpus or Mobiliarbus. Same beginning, but different end word depending what you want to move.” Harry’s eyebrow descended to its normal position. “Yeah, I get it. My brain doesn’t seem to be working at the moment,” he complained. Then he said, “Ron tried to use Mobilitrunkus once to move his school trunk. It didn’t work, so he fell back on our old stand-by, Wingardium Leviosa, to get it downstairs.” Ginny smiled at the story. “Sounds like something Ron would try.” Harry buttoned his shirt without taking off the necklace. “How did you know I would rather wear something people can’t see?” Ginny felt her face growing hot. “How many years have I spent studying you, Potter?” “All right…I get your point!” Harry said smiling. He was silent for a time and Ginny could almost see the wheels turning in his brain. “You said earlier that this was supposed to act as an alarm bell of sorts for you. What’s in it for me?” Ginny sat down on the hearth rug and leaned back against the front of the couch before answering. “Well, for one thing, if you never take it off you’ll always have me with you.” “How’s that?” Harry sounded cautious. “The spells I used incorporated some of my magic into the necklace. That’s why it feels almost alive,” Ginny told him. “If you decide to wear it, you’ll carry a small piece of me wherever you go; I’ll be with you in good times as well as bad. Think of the necklace as a touchstone of sorts, a reminder of just how much I care about you. I reckon the bond has an added protection factor for when we are separated as well.” She glanced over at him to try to gage how he had taken this bit of news. Harry was staring at the embers, one hand propping up his chin, the other toying with the invisible bird through the thin fabric of his shirt. “It’s a nice thought having your magic with me,” he finally said wistfully. “Nobody has to know about it unless I tell them…” He turned his head slightly as he asked, “The spell—what book did you get it from?” Ginny giggled. “It’s one of my Mum’s called Spells and Potions for the Truly Lovelorn by Val N. Tino. I came across it last summer when Mum had me straighten up the attic after the ghoul had a particularly furious fit and made a really big mess up there. The title sounded too good to pass up.” She twisted a little so she could more easily see Harry and found him studiously staring straight ahead, so she added with a smirk, “I had this idea I could spike Ron and Hermione’s pumpkin juice one morning at breakfast; see if I could get the sparks flying. Unfortunately, Ron finally came to his senses, realized Hermione was indeed a girl, and asked her out for the first Hogsmeade weekend before I could make the potion.” Harry’s lips twitched into the beginnings of a smile and Ginny felt slightly encouraged. “So this book is one of those that Madam Pince has banned from the library?” “Oh, no,” Ginny said innocently. “On the contrary, it’s so highly sought-after that she put it on the “Extremely Dangerous” shelf of the Restricted Section. I looked it up. The edition Hogwarts has dates from 1322!” Harry’s eyes widened. “So this spell is old magic…” Ginny nodded in confirmation. “One of the oldest, according to the Tino book and a few others I looked in. Harry, please believe me that I didn’t go into this blindly. It scared me at first that the spells were actually going to deplete my magic reserves.” Harry’s eyebrow ascended into his fringe again. “But the more I read about the bonding process and what it meant, the more I felt I was right to give up a part of myself to you.” Harry flopped backward onto the sofa pillows and stared at the ceiling. “Merlin, Ginny…this is hard for me!” he exclaimed softly. “No one has ever done anything like what you’ve given me in the last two months! Most people just demand stuff from me and expect me to function with what little they give back “I hope it’s not me or Ron or Hermione…” Ginny began. Sensing this discussion was about to turn serious, she clambered onto the sofa to sit beside her boyfriend. “No, Ginny. Never you or your family or Hermione. It’s the people who see my scar and point or gawk. Your Mum once told you I wasn’t something to be goggled at in a zoo. That’s how it feels to be me; people see the Boy Who Lived as the answer to all their problems and never stop to think how I feel!” Harry said bitterly. “Harry, that’s not true!” “It is, Ginny, and you’ve seen it. Maybe you didn’t want to recognize it for what it was, but it was there.” “All right, I have seen how people treat you in public. But there isn’t anyone here at Hogwarts who uses you like that.” “Professor Dumbledore?” “The one and only. I told you in December that I trashed his office last June because I was so angry with him!” “But you were grieving, Harry,” Ginny protested. “You’d just fought Voldemort, for Merlin’s sake!” “That’s just it, Ginny. Dumbledore has been lying to me for years! He’s kept information about the Prophecy from me since I came to Hogwarts! It wasn’t until the six of us went haring off to the Ministry of Magic last year that he deigned to tell me about my responsibilities. He never found the right moment, or so he says. I doubt I’d know about the Prophecy today if we hadn’t tried to rescue Sirius.” The angry words seemed to be spilling out of Harry of their own accord. He shifted so that his elbows were resting on his knees; both hands held his head and he spoke to the floor in a somewhat melancholy tone. “I’ve been wondering since June whether I’d be just another student here if I hadn’t somehow vanquished Voldemort all those years ago. Voldemort wouldn’t have needed to return if there wasn’t a Prophecy! I wouldn’t be holding him responsible for all the death and destruction he’s caused. Don’t you realize that if things had turned out differently my parents would probably be alive; their best friends would have been around to watch me grow up; Sirius, Cedric and goodness knows who else would still be living—and that includes the fifty-eight dead Voldemort’s Death Eaters created twenty-four hours ago!” Harry stood up and walked around to the back of the sofa where he began pacing. “Instead, I’m stuck with a stupid nickname, a scar that’s connected to the worst Dark wizard in years, guardians who would rather I didn’t exist and the responsibility of living up to the rest of the world’s expectations!” Ginny closed her eyes as Harry finished. She could hear the pain in his voice and feel her angel vibrating under her dressing gown. Nervously, she closed her fingers around one of the vials in her pocket and brought it out onto her lap. “You’re right to blame Voldemort for all the pain he’s cause you, Harry,” she said quietly. “But I don’t think blaming Dumbledore for keeping the Prophecy from you until you were older or taking responsibility for all those terrible deaths is right, though. They’re making you miserable.” “So what am I supposed to do, Ginny?” Harry demanded. “Calm down, for starters,” she said looking pointedly at the vial she held. “Accept the fact that the Fates have chosen you to lead the Light side when the time comes, but for right now, let others fight the battles for once; complete your education. All those NEWT-level courses you’re taking are prerequisites for your future, Harry.” “What future?” Ginny heard him mumble under his breath. “The one you’re supposed to be planning for like the rest of your year,” she retorted rather impatiently. “Well, right now that’s a little impossible to see,” he grumbled. Ginny felt her necklace vibrate harder; Harry’s frame of mind needed changing quickly or he’d be back where he started. “I see your point and now you need to see mine,” she told him firmly. “No matter how controlling or demanding you seem to think some people are, there are more than enough others who want to see you have the future you seem to be bent on denying yourself—“ “That’s easy for them to believe!” Harry interrupted sourly. “They aren’t the ones singled out to be the bloody hero! I’m the one who has to murder or be murdered! It’s me and no one else!” Ginny bristled. “Just a few hours ago, Neville, Luna, Ron, Hermione, and I all pledged to stand at your side until Voldemort falls. That means, Harry, that we will not let you be alone in your fight against Voldemort, up to and including the last battle! I repeat; you are not alone! Can’t you accept our support without being so stubbornly resistant?” She heaved in a shuddering sigh, too exasperated to stop. “Besides, all the members of the Order are dedicated to protecting you, to seeing that you survive to ‘do the deed’ as you so eloquently put it.” “I know that and I’m grateful,” Harry mumbled petulantly. Ginny wasn’t finished. “Unfortunately, while you are preparing for that outcome good people, young and old, are dying and there will be more deaths to come. That’s the reality Voldemort lives with and tries to impose on the rest of the world. You know he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. If he doesn’t, he’s going to make people as miserable as he is selfish.” “But the Prophecy—”Harry protested. “Look, Harry. It’s almost a given that Voldemort still hasn’t heard the entire Prophecy. Look at how widespread the attacks were; by directing his followers to destroy what he doesn’t have or understand all over Britain he’s hoping you’ll succumb to his treachery and tell him the rest of it. You can’t let that happen, Harry, because if you do, you won’t have a future at all. None of us will!” Ginny pinned her boyfriend with a hawk-like stare. “That is not the future I’ve envisioned, Harry Potter. I won’t, I can’t, let you stop planning the rest of your life just because you have lost your faith in Dumbledore or given in to Voldemort. That’s not the Harry I know and love!” Harry stared at her, his mouth hanging slightly open. “You really mean that, don’t you,” he breathed finally. “You really think I have a future beyond Voldemort…” The awe in his voice brought a lump to Ginny’s throat and she could only nod at him. “Yes, Harry, I do,” she finally whispered laying a hand over his. “You have every right to plan for what you want to do after Hogwarts just like the rest of us, whether it’s professional Quidditch or the Auror corps or a teaching position here at the school.” Harry blinked behind his glasses as if doing a sudden double-take. “How do you know I’ve been thinking about teaching?” Ginny smiled. “You’re a natural, Harry. You’re a leader who makes learning interesting and worthwhile. I’ve learned things in the DA better than I might have learned them in lessons,” she told him realizing as she said this that she needed to bring the conversation back to her main focus. “Look, Harry,” she continued. “It’s fun to plan for the future and to me it seems as if you have two; one with short-term goals and one with long-term objectives. Unfortunately, in order to do either, you’re going to have to let other people help you, including Professor Dumbledore.” Harry scowled at hearing the name. “Please hear me out, Harry. I went to see him yesterday after I arranged the meeting in the Room of Requirement. I had to know what he and the other adults we know could do for you because it’s important to me that you survive to see your future. Professor Dumbledore said that whenever you are ready there’s a whole list of special classes and tutorial sessions waiting for you; he wants you to begin them on Monday. Did you know?” “I’ve known about that list since September,” Harry said grudgingly. “I wasn’t ready for it.” “You weren’t. Are you now?” Harry nodded. “I’ve got to do something or I’m toast,” he said burying his head in his hands. “I bet he’s sending me back to Snape for Occlumency lessons again.” “Nothing doing. I have it on good authority that your teacher is someone you trust.” Harry turned his head to look at her, an eyebrow disappearing into his fringe. “Will you tell me?” Ginny grinned mischievously at him. “No, sir. You’ll just have to await your owl like the rest of us.” “’The rest of us’?” he repeated. “You didn’t think that after our pledge Professor Dumbledore was going to make you go through most of your training alone, do you? Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and I all have some sort of involvement in it, too.” For the first time that evening, a genuine grin spread across Harry’s face. “That’s brilliant!” he breathed and Ginny felt her angle stop vibrating. “So you’re all right with the plans?” she enquired. “Yeah, I am,” Harry sighed and settled back against the sofa cushions. He threw his arm over the back to touch Ginny on the shoulder. She glanced at his watch and was surprised how much time had passed since she had initially come downstairs. They had been down here nearly two hours! Thank goodness it’s Sunday and Harry can sleep in if he wants, she thought. “Harry, love, I’m glad, but we both need to get some sleep,” she yawned reaching for the goblet Harry had retrieved from under the sofa and eventually put between them. “Let’s go upstairs.” Harry nodded and looked pointedly at the vial she still held in her left hand. His hand closed over her wrist as she lifted the cup from the cushion. “I’ll go upstairs if you want me to, but I know I won’t be able to sleep; there’s just too many thoughts running around in my head right now,” he admitted. Ginny sighed sleepily. “I tried,” she murmured and tried to pull away. “Please, Ginny. Let me finish…you’ve helped me a lot tonight; you’re showing me that I still have a future to hope for, to work toward. I’m feeling better about the fact that it’s only me who can kill Voldemort because you’ve reminded me that I’m not as alone as I thought I was.” Harry put his hand over his chest where phoenix pendant lay. “Having a piece of your magic is very special, Ginny. I can feel your presence and know you made a sacrifice to see that I will never be alone; but even with the talisman, my head is too full to get any sleep. What I’m trying to say is…I want to try your Draught of Peace. You took the time to make it for me and at this point I’ll try anything to calm my racing thoughts…” Harry trailed off, looking at her expectantly. Without a word, Ginny extracted her hand and poured the contents of the vial into the goblet. “This is the right dose? You’re sure it won’t put me into too heavy a sleep?” Recalling their Potions Master’s words she answered, “Not with all the research I did beforehand and Hermione peering over my shoulder when I mixed it.” “I shouldn’t have questioned your potion-brewing abilities. Sorry.” His hand shook slightly as he took the goblet from her, murmured, “Cheers,” and downed the Draught in one huge gulp. Ginny watched him closely as he returned the goblet to her. Both her Potions text and the library book had stated the effects were rather slow-acting, seeming to sneak up on the drinker, rather than being overwhelming. Harry leaned back against the cushions and took off his glasses. He seemed to gradually relax and sink back into the sofa’s squishy softness. Looking over at her he grinned, “If I’m supposed to feel like I’ve had one too many butterbeers, this stuff is bloody marvellous!” “Are you dizzy?” she asked suddenly panicking. What did I read about dizziness? There had been something about this particular symptom which both books had stressed: a dizzy drinker meant there was too much moonstone…Stop worrying! You know that you mixed the potion right, so stop doubting your abilities. Every household potion you’ve made at home you’ve done right. Mum trusts you and now Harry does. You won’t poison him! “No,” Harry replied happily. “Just pleasantly—peaceful…no spinning thoughts. Ginny? What’s the matter?” Sighing, Ginny stared at her hands. “I’m just obsessing, Harry. Worrying that I made the potion wrong.” He stood up and held out his hand, pulling her up onto her feet when she took it. Gathering her into his arms, he asked, “You didn’t. I feel perfectly fine. Thank you.” His hug made her feel warm inside as she returned his gesture. “Ginny?” “Yes, Harry?” She raised her head from where her ear nestled over his steadily beating heart and noticed that his gaze seemed to focus on her lips. He raised his eyes to meet hers, then bent down and slowly touched his lips to hers. His kiss was soft and made her think of butterfly wings. He pulled back when she gave a little gasp of surprise, giving her a questioning look. Anxious to reassure him, she smiled and stood on tiptoe while sliding her hands up his back toward his shoulder blades, feeling him shiver slightly under her touch. Obviously encouraged by her actions, Harry’s lips met Ginny’s again in a kiss that sent her head spinning. She felt his tongue tentatively touch her lips and she closed her eyes as he deepened the kiss and one of his hands tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck. The other strayed to the middle of her back, pulling her close against his muscular body. She was soon lost in the sensations, hungrily giving as much as she was getting. They broke apart a second time, rather reluctantly and more than a little breathless. Harry gave a deep sigh and closing his eyes whispered, “I love you, Ginny. More than you’ll ever know.” “I love you, too, Harry,” she breathed and snuggled into the hollow of his chest. Harry’s arms tightened about her and they remained that way for several minutes. “Ginny, love,” Harry eventually murmured, “I want to stay here with you until dawn, but I really do need to try to get some sleep.” Ginny nodded and reluctantly wriggled from Harry’s grasp. She gathered up the discarded goblet, vial and her book and had turned to go back upstairs when she felt Harry’s hand at the small of her back. Looking up, she noticed he was smiling as he gave her a small nudge and guided her toward the stairs. “Yes, Harry?” she asked curiously pausing at their foot. Harry took the book from her, put it on the first step and bent to brush his lips against hers again. “Good night, Ginny. I love you,” he said huskily, trailing several more kisses over her face. “Sleep well.” Ginny reached up to caress his cheek. “I will, Harry. I will,” she promised. Harry smiled and mimicking her gesture, touched his lips to hers in one last, brief kiss. Then, he was gone. Ginny picked up her book and made her way up to her bed. Feeling happy and loved, she drew the hangings around herself and fell asleep almost instantly, a contented smile playing about her lips. End of Part Five A/N: Many thanks to Aggiebell for her superb beta skills and for all her suggestions which helped the romantic part of this chapter what you have just read. Fluffy mushy stuff is not my forte and through her ideas, the final scene became real to me and, I hope, you, too.
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