I don't own any of the characters, just borrowed them for my story!

Enjoy!

Eternity

Dumbledore tried to convince the werewolf again like he had tried everyday.

"It's been three weeks now. Remus he is dead."

And like everyday all he received was a deep and angry growl for an answer. It was close to the full moon and if it hadn't been for Remus' condition they would just have let him stay there, at Harry's side, until he had come out by himself. But with every day the situation got more and more dangerous.

Harry's friends had been forced out of the room by now, let's just say that they didn't go quietly. If Remus said that there was still something left in this body they believed him. What they couldn't explain was why only Remus seemed to feel life were no healer could.

Since there was no way for Hermione and the others to be with Harry, dead or alive, they sat in the library and skimmed through books to find any explanation.

"Nothing." Hermione dropped the heavy book on the table and released a heavy cloud of dust which made the others sneeze and cough.

"Easy there Hermione we are choking." But it was not the usual teasing Hermione was used to from Ron. It was a grave situation and nobody had the will to joke.

All of them wanted to believe that Harry was still alive, but there was a little voice inside them that kept saying that it was impossible.

Maybe this voice was a little louder in Hermione because she had been raised in the Muggle world and it is just not known there that somebody not breathing and with no sign of life whatsoever could indeed still be there.

The wizarding children were mostly thinking about it as a possibility. Voldemort had come back after all.

Hermione had to fight back the tears that came to her eyes. There was no time to cry now.

The voice inside her kept saying: "Harry is dead, Hermione. Let him go." And this sounded like Professor Dumbledore somehow.

Remus felt the moon approaching and the wolf getting stronger. Time was not on his side. It was just a matter of hours until the Aurors were here to force him out like they had done with Harry's friends.He couldn't explain it himself. Maybe he was going insane. But it was just so real, the feeling of something alive, something strong.

He couldn't let them burry Harry's body before he was absolutely sure of his death. Remus wished he had help. Wished for James and Lily. Even Sirius presence would be a comfort tough he would probably annoy him greatly by now. But they were gone and he was the last marauder left.

Ginny couldn't read anymore, her eyes were hurting. She leaned back and closed them, breathing, slowly, deep. All these days she had hoped that something would change, but it just wouldn't.

What was so different with Remus Lupin that he could see something others couldn't?

Well he was a werewolf but how could this be of any relevance?

Then a thought came into her mind, it was so easy none of them had seen it! And as she told her friends the feeling of this being the answer grew stronger.

"His senses are more those of the wolf right?"

"Yes, that's common with werewolves but what are you playing at?"

"Well it is known that animals can sense danger maybe they can sense life, too."

Hermione got up pacing the room giving Ginny's idea some thought. But as fast as hope had risen in Ginny it got overwhelmed by another one. Her face went pale and her eyes were wide with Horror as she whispered: " B…but nobody will believe him. They will burry Harry alive!"

Hermione stopped in her tracks.

"Professor McGonagall," she said and everyone looked at her.

"What are you talking about? She is on Dumbledore's side in this matter! Anyway, how do you think she could be of any help?" Ron asked while trying to comfort his sister.

"Remember, Ron! She is an animagus." And with that the young adults were on their way.

Professor McGonagall stared at the door. Behind it there was the angry werewolf and her dead favourite student. She would have never admitted it to anyone but she had indeed a special liking to the boy, well young man. He had never been a devoted student like Miss Granger, but he had picked up fast and was determined to finish what he had started.He would have become a great wizard. But he was dead and as much as she understood Remus clinging to the last reminder of his childhood friends she was also angry with him. Had it not been for his behaviour the children, Molly and herself would have come to at least something to a closure.

She had asked Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley to get in the hospital room. Remus knew them very well and would not hurt them intentionally.

Dumbledore had warned the Aurors anyway that so close to the full moon and with all the stress he might not be able to hold back the wolf. This was a dangerous situation.

They got all ready and just before Moody could knock on the door to try it one last time the children came rushing in, breathing heavily.

"Don't, please!"

The old Auror turned to Hermione.

"Dear girl, I would love to do something different. Remus is our friend, too. We just might break his heart when we get him out now, but he is a danger to all here and he knows that."

"But there is still a chance!" Hermione said turning to her Headmaster.

"If you would just try one more thing! I promise if it doesn't work we will let you do what you think is right."

Before Professor Dumbledore could answer Ginny addressed her transfiguration teacher.

"We need your help, Professor!"

"Mine?" She was confused, why her by all means? She had made her opinion clear before.

"Please, go in there in your animagus form and try to find out what Remus is sensing."

The Professor understood.

"Minerva, it is possible, but it is dangerous. As a cat you are no more a match for a werewolf then as a human."

But there was a twinkle of hope in the old Headmasters eyes.

Minerva McGonagall had to think it over for a moment. She did not believe that there was a chance and if this request was the last her students were making it might just be a chance to end it all, peacefully.

"Okay," she said. "I'll do it for Harry."

Hermione knocked.

"Go away."

"Remus, it's me!"

"What do you want? Are you on their side now? I never thought you would let Harry down like this!"

"Don't be stupid! We are here to help you! We believe in you and you know this very well!"

"Sorry."

"We'll try one more thing okay?"

No answer.

"Remus, let Professor McGonagall in, in her animagus form!"

It took a moment before anything happened. Maybe Remus Lupin had got an idea what they were trying to do. The lock clicked and the door opened just far enough to let the tabby cat enter.

The cat went into the dark room. The door behind her locked itself and an eerie feeling let the hair on her back stand up. The only bit of light came trough the fabric of the drawn curtains, but as she was a cat the dim light didn't matter.

The werewolf sat with Harry on the bed. The body of the boy cuddled against his chest. His eyes fixed on the cat.

"He is all I have left, Professor." His voice was nothing more than a whisper.

The cat jumped up on the bed to get closer. She had been afraid what she might see there, but it wasn't as bad as she thought. Well Harry was dead, but that was about all. His face was all white, his eyes closed and his lips were slightly blue. She brushed against his hand and was surprised to find it not rigid, but perfectly movable just cold. Well the healers would certainly find an explanation for this.

The next moment the cat had to back up with her hair sticking up she had to change into her human self again not able to stand what the cat had felt. It was a life-force so great that it couldn't be described and the magic was so strong she had never felt before and it was clear that it came from Harry!

As she was standing near the door now, her eyes wide in shock the werewolf turned his gaze to her again.

"You felt it, didn't you?"

She could only nod. How was that possible and how on earth was Remus able to be close to him? She was still shaking when she turned to open the door.

"He is right," she whispered.

Molly Weasley sat in the kitchen with a cup of tea in her hands that was already cold. It was long past midnight but she couldn't find any sleep. The moon shone into the room, it was almost full, time for Remus to shut himself in the basement at the Headquarters, soon. Nearly a month ago he had moved to The Burrow with Harry.
He wouldn't have been able to take Harry by himself because of the law against werewolves so Molly and Arthur offered their help. Remus lived in the twins' room, they had moved out by now to their own flat above their shop. And they made a narrow bed for Harry in the kitchen.

As Molly looked over to the bed she thought how this must look for someone not accustomed to the Weasleys. They wanted Harry with them, not hidden away in some spare room and the kitchen was just the place were the family would come together. Even when all others were out working there was still her and now during her holidays Ginny to keep an eye on him during the day. Not that he needed looking after as there was still no sign of life.

Every day, when Remus came down for breakfast Molly asked him if Harry was still there and Remus would just concentrate for a moment and nod.

The Professors, some trustworthy ministry workers and even Dumbledore's friend Nicolas Flamel and his wife had looked closely into the matter after Professor McGonagall had told them what she had felt.

They had come up after a while with an ancient spell they tried on Harry and what they found out was still so unbelievable that Molly sometimes wondered if it could be true.

Voldemort had given Harry all of his power. This part they had known before but what this power combined with Harry's would trigger was something Voldemort had wanted for himself all along: immortality. Harry would live forever.

Molly sighted. If he would just wake up. There was no way to help him. Not that they hadn't tried though. The bed in the kitchen was just a way of trying. Maybe someday something would reach Harry's consciousness and make him wake.

Ginny was taking the situation worse than the others. She had always had a crush on Harry but when she grew older this crush grew to love. And even if Harry wouldn't admit it before the battle because of the danger for her the signs were that he loved her back.

The way he looked at her, the way he cared for her safety.

Molly was worried for the future of her only daughter. She knew that she would never give up on him. She would stay with Harry, not looking for a husband someplace else and never going to marry if he wouldn't wake. And if he did? Would he still love her? Or had all of this changed him too much?

Footsteps came down the staircase and her little girl came down in her nightgown like she had done for the last couple of nights since she came from school and slipped next to Harry under the blanket. She hadn't seen her mother and she didn't know that she had been unsuccessful in getting upstairs in the morning not seen by anyone.

Everyone knew by now and as she was drifting to sleep tonight she heard her mother's voice next to her: "Don't get up so early tomorrow, we know. Sleep well, both of you."

Ginny was woken by the sun coming through the kitchen window. It was summer and the birds were making a deafening racked outside to greet this new day. She just lay there for a moment watching her hand on Harry's unmoving chest when she heard Remus' footsteps. He was an early riser and she knew he would sit with Harry with a cup of tea before going to work. So she might as well get up. She sat up and before leaving the bed she looked in Harry's face and was shocked. His eyes were open! There was no movement and they were not focused at all but they were open.

"R… Remus!" she said as she climbed out of bed.

The werewolf came closer and when he followed Ginny's view he realized what had startled her too. The cup he had hold crashed on the stone floor and he was at Ginny's side in the blink of an eye kneeling on the bed his face directly over Harry's.

He stroked over the boys hair and talked in the calmest words he was able to produce. Ginny saw him shaking violently as he lifted Harry and took him into his arms.

"Harry, come on, you can do it. Come to us, we miss you." He rocked slightly and the moment Molly entered the kitchen, worried by the commotion she had heard Harry began to scream.

It was painful when his lungs filled with air and all the muscles that had laid still for the last months started to work. It was so painful that Harry couldn't do anything but to scream and then cry like he had only done once in his life before. And like the day he had mourned Sirius' death it was Moony that held him tight.

Ron was sitting next to his best friend. After Harry had all woken them this morning he was awake, but barely reacting to anything around him. Ron's mom had dressed Harry, put his glasses on and set him upright facing the table. Harry had slung his arms around his knees and stared into the air.

As nobody was sure how much Harry knew what had been going on Ron had told him. He had sat there next to him on the bed not sure if Harry was listening at all, telling his best friend about his fate. This was the first time Ron was happy not to be Harry, he was feeling guilty about it and he told that Harry, too. No more secrets, nothing unsaid anymore, Ron was keeping the promise they had all given each other before the battle after Harry had revealed the prophecy to them.

Now they were just sitting there.

Ron watched his mother and Ginny preparing dinner. The house was full of people. Like every Sunday the whole family would eat together and this family just seemed to grow by the hour. Bill and Charley had both wives and quite a bunch of kids by now and the twins were nearly as much trouble as they had been in their Hogwarts time.

"Mum, have you seen Alice somewhere?" asked Bill's wife Alicia concerned coming into the kitchen with a small baby on her arms.

"No dear, but she can't be far away, don't worry."

Then a voice they had not heard for a long time came from the bed.

"She's outside."

Molly came closer and looked Harry in the eyes.

"Have you seen her? She probably slipped through the backdoor. Was that long ago?" She held Harry's hand. The boy had difficulties finding the right words as there was so much spinning in his head right now and as he hadn't talked for a long time.

"She is near the pond, hurry," he said, unable to get up himself and aware of the danger that meant for a two year old.

Chairs were scratching over the floor as half of the Weasleys got up to save the child and Molly was pressing Harry's hand for her own comfort until Bill came in with his screaming but unharmed little girl.

They were all relieved that nothing had happened.

"She was way past the line, mom. The safety charm must have worn of."

"Oh god, Bill. There haven't been so small kids here for a while so nobody really thought about it. If Harry hadn't seen …" She stopped suddenly.

"But y…you couldn't have seen her, Harry. You can't see the pond from a window in here. How did you know?"

Harry just shrugged his shoulders and continued staring in the air as the matter was discussed in the Weasley family.

Harry went outside. It wasn't that nobody noticed him leaving, they just held each other back in the urge to follow him.

He wished he was near the sea or on a mountaintop, but for now the country sight had to be enough. He tried to sort himself out, tried to understand what had happened to him, what was in fact still happening.

How could he go on like this? What was he going to do?

"Harry?" asked Ginny's voice behind him. She came closer. Harry could feel her warmth, her magic, her love.

"Harry, I love you." She touched his shoulder and felt his struggle.

"Don't, Ginny."

"What?" She was shocked.

"Don't do this to yourself."

"But I cannot ignore what I feel. And I know you love me, too."

"I do." he whispered.

"Then why do you push me away?"

He didn't say anything for a while. Sometimes it seemed to Ginny that he wanted to start to speak but then gave up.

The sun was slowly sinking. They could hear the Weasleys preparing the tables outside in the garden, talking, even laughing.

"They will be all gone someday, you will be gone. I will still be here."

Ginny was silently crying.

"But it will be years until then, many years hopefully. We could have these years together. Do you want to spend eternity alone? You cannot refuse to love just because what you love will be dieing someday!"

"When I prepared myself, Ginny, before the battle, I thought that if I lose I would be with my parents at least and with Sirius. There were times where I even wished to loose but then I thought about you and to what I would leave you and that someone else would have to do my part. I didn't want anyone else to go through this."

Ginny was shocked. "Why didn't you talk to us? You made us promise, remember? No secrets!"

"What could you have done?"

"Told you that you weren't alone. Like we tried all the time! Were you listening to us at all?"

"I am scared Ginny."

"Scared? What are you scared about?"

"Who will stop me?"

"I…I don't understand?"

"When I turn dark, who will be able to stop me? Will there be another child who has to grow up with a prophecy hanging over its head?"

"Harry if I know you at all then I know you will never turn bad."

"How are you so sure? What will be in a thousand years from now? Who will remind me of how I stared when there is none of you left?"

"You will always have someone Harry, you will go on. Even if we are not there anymore. You will find other friends and you will find another love."

"Never!"

"Yes Harry, but I also know that you will always remember me. And that is the reason I will not let you go without a fight."

"How?"

"I don't know if anyone told you this before. Wizards believe that if you die a peace of you stays with the ones you love. And as long as you remember them they will be with you. It is a great comfort to me that whatever happens there will always be someone who remembers me. I will be alive in you."

As she looked at Harry's face she saw the first change in his expression. Slowly it dawned Harry that Ginny might be right.

"Dinner is ready I think, come with me, eat with us."

"Ginny I don't need to…"

"No you don't need to eat, but you always liked Mum's cooking and we like to have your company."

Harry looked in her pleading eyes then took her outstretched hand and turned back to The Burrow.