Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all associated characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers.
Title: Harry Potter: On with My Life
Warning: This story contains some strong language and some adult sexual content.
Author's Note: The first four pages of this story are a flashback in third person narrative of what happened over the past three years of Harry's life after heading off to find the Horcruxes with Ron and Hermione.
This story is told in 3rd person narrative. All thoughts are in single quotes and all dialogs are in double quotes.
This story may be considered an AU because in it, Harry has developed a successful counter-curse to the Unforgivable Curses. Other than that, the story does attempt to fully follow the HP canon, though since it does take place three years into the future; this has to be taken into account when considering the character's decisions and actions. A lot of things can happen to people in three years.
I'd like to express my deepest thanks to Harry.Kissed.Ginny for beta-reading this story. She did an exceptional job, in my opinion, and I'm sure you'll agree after reading this story. Thanks HKG.
Description: This story deals with the direction Harry chooses to take with his life now that his quest to destroy Voldemort is over. It also touches on the ghosts of his past and how they affect his decisions. This story will be three or four chapters long, but additional short stories (prequels and sequels) may follow depending on how well this story is received.
This is a Post-Hogwarts-General fic with some Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione on the side.
Chapter One: Homecoming
-
It was Harry's preferred mode of travel, soaring through the cool country air on his Firebolt. 'How long had it been since I rode a broomstick?' Harry wondered. 'Two… no three years.' He realized he hadn't flown since he, Ron, and Hermione set off to find Voldemort's Horcruxes. Two had already been destroyed, three were unaccounted for, and one had cost Dumbledore his life.
After spending all summer studying, and practicing, and preparing, they set off to find and destroy the hidden parts of the Dark Lord's soul.
The night before the eve of the next term at Hogwarts, Harry stood just outside the front yard of the Burrow staring up at the stars, wondering if he was truly ready for the task he and his friends were about to undertake. Lost in his own thoughts, he did not hear Ginny Weasley walk up behind him.
"Knut for your thoughts," she had whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist. If there was one thing he would regret it was leaving Ginny behind, but he knew it was better this way. He never did master Occlumency, and the last thing he would let Voldemort do was use the one he loved against him. Unlike at Dumbledore's funeral, this time Harry was able to tell Ginny how he really felt, through his words and actions, kissing her deeply, lovingly. He told her he did not know how long it would take him to defeat Voldemort, but he would not stop until his task was complete. He made her promise that she would not wait for him, but rather, she would go on with her life and do her best to be happy, even during these dark times. Many tears were shed that night, and to make sure they did not have a repeat in the morning, Harry, Ron, and Hermione left before anyone else woke up.
It was no easy task finding the remaining Horcruxes, but find them they did. The cup of Hufflepuff was locked away in the basement of the orphanage where Tom Riddle was raised. A book written by Rowena Ravenclaw herself, turned out to be the next Horcrux, which they found in the restricted section of Hogwarts library, of all places. Harry had to fight the urge to look for Ginny while they were there. He never even caught a glimpse of her, but she did of him. That left only two more Horcruxes: the locket of Slytherin and Voldemort's snake, Nagini. Ron was convinced the locket was already destroyed but Hermione was convinced otherwise. For Harry's part, he wanted to make sure, before he set out to find and destroy Voldemort, himself.
While sneaking a rest at the estate Harry inherited from his godfather, Sirius Black, Ron stumbled and caused a racket, which set off Mrs. Black's portrait on a tirade. She went on and on about the half-bloods, blood-traitors, and Mudbloods in her house. Harry was ready to light the portrait on fire when she cursed Sirius for leaving Harry the Black estate, but Hermione stopped him when a phrase the vile woman said caught her ear. The portrait had called out the name of her younger son, Regulus Black, Regulus AemiliusBlack, R.A.B. Certain that this was the R.A.B. who had left the cheap substitute locket with the note, Harry began to tear the house apart but with no luck. Finally, during one quiet evening in the kitchen, Hermione suggested that Harry try the Accio charm to summon the locket to him. Since he had seen it before, even if it was just in memories of it, he should still be able to summon it, she reasoned. So Harry tried, and sure enough, the doors the cupboard that Kreacher had called his room, flew open and the locket sailed into Harry's hand. It took all three of them but on the first anniversary of their quest, they managed to destroy the fifth Horcrux.
That night, Ron and Hermione each slept more peacefully than they had all year, but not Harry, for now the real danger would begin. Yes, they encountered a few Death Eaters over the past year but nothing too dangerous, nothing too life threatening. This would all change now, now that they would be going after Voldemort himself, and Nagini. Now, there was no doubt in Harry's mind that they would be encountering the full extent of Voldemort's army and they would be living in constant peril each step of the way. Rising from his bed, Harry quietly got dressed and went down to the basement kitchen for some supplies. While there, he wrote a note to Ron and Hermione. Pinning it to the front door, he cast a charm on the house to make it impossible for anyone to leave it for one month once he closed the door behind him. He figured, a month was enough time for him to get far enough along that they would not be able to track him. He hoped they would follow the advice that he wrote in the letter and go home.
Later that morning, after his friends found the note, Ron cursed Harry and Hermione wept uncontrollably. Harry knew they would probably never forgive him for leaving them behind, but in his heart he knew he had done the right thing. As he suspected, he spent the next year and a half fighting for his life against countless Death Eaters, werewolves, dementors, giants, and many other dark creatures. Though he took some hellish beatings at times, he always managed to end up on top and grew into a stronger, more capable fighter with each battle. Nevertheless, he was not constantly fighting, one battle after another. No, Harry had his moments of rest and contemplation. In addition, along the way he met some of the most interesting witches and wizards who taught him things he was certain would never be allowed on the curriculum at Hogwarts.
After nearly two and a half years since he had set out on his original quest with his two friends, Harry knew he was finally drawing near his goal, for he stopped running into the many dark creatures he had faced until now and instead was facing only Death Eaters. To make matters worse, it was not just any Death Eaters, but those closest to Voldemort. He fought and killed Goyle, Alecto, and Crabbe. He battled the Malfoy family along the Scottish coast and managed to kill them all. His two most satisfying victories occurred shortly afterward. His battle against Sirius' cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange satisfied Harry's need to avenge his godfather, and his later battle against Snape served to quench his thirst for personal revenge. Though satisfying in that he finally managed to kill the man he hated the most, next to Voldemort, the battle itself was far from satisfying. The last time they met, Snape seemed to toy with Harry. This time, it was Harry who was easily the better fighter. Moreover, though a master of Legilimency and Occlumency, Snape could not stop Harry from invading his mind and learning the truth. That he had deceived Dumbledore from the very start as well as the Dark Lord. Snape only served his own selfish interests, deceiving both powerful wizards while secretly amassing a bounty of spells and potions in the self-deluded hope of overpowering both Dumbledore and Voldemort one day. Seeing Snape's self-glorifying wishes, Harry did not hesitate to use the curse Snape had used on Dumbledore, Avada Kedavra.
After defeating his worst enemy, no one stood between them, Harry and Voldemort. There were a few minor players who wouldn't stand a chance against Harry, so they didn't even try. Instead of coming out to meet Harry one last time, Voldemort showed himself to be the coward he truly was, and ran. For months, Harry chased after him: along the northern French coast, through the dark forests of Germany, on through Poland, and even into Russia. Finally, Harry caught up with him in Siberia, alone, save for his snake, Nagini, and Wormtail. Harry killed Peter Pettigrew without a second thought, and then proceeded to kill the snake. While upset over the lose of his Horcrux, Voldemort just laughed and told Harry that he would live on even if Harry managed to kill him here in the frozen wasteland. Then Harry told him about the diary he had destroyed in his second year at Hogwarts. This didn't get much of a rise out of the Dark Lord since he already knew Harry had done this. However, when Harry told him of the ring, the cup, the locket, and the book, it was Harry who laughed seeing the genuine fear in Voldemort's eyes. All six parts of his soul were gone and only the fragment of his soul that resided in his body remained.
Voldemort began to expatiate about how it was his destiny to rule not only the magical world but the non-magical world as well. How he had no choice but to do what he did. How he was so very sorry for having to kill James and Lily but that it had to be done and how it was really Snape's fault for coming to him with only half a prophecy. How grateful he really was to Harry for killing off that evil traitor, Snape, and how, now that they were together they could rule the world as one. In disgust, Harry dropped his guard for only a moment but it was a moment long enough for Voldemort to launch his attack, Avada Kedavra. However, Harry did what no one had ever learned to do before; not because of the protection his mother provided with her love for him; not because their wands were made from the same phoenix's feathers; but because in the nearly three years of hunting for the Dark Lord, Harry managed to develop a counter-curse to the unforgivable curses, Anapquo Kedavra. Launching his own attack, it only took seconds to end the nine year nightmare that was Voldemort. In the frozen wastelands of northern Siberia, Lord Voldemort lay dead. Killed by the same curse he used to kill Harry's parents.
Weeks of investigations followed. Harry answered the same questions over and over again for the Ministry. How could they justify letting someone free who had used the killing curse as many times as Harry had done in his pursuit of Lord Voldemort? Yet, how do you charge the one person who was able to stop all the madness and murder? In the end, the Ministry called Harry a hero and awarded him the Order of Merlin, First Class. The minister himself, Rufus Scrimgeour, offered Harry a position with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but he turned the Minister down.
Now, he was flying his broomstick back to the only place he ever considered home, back to the Burrow. The seven-story cottage came into view and Harry's heart leapt. He came in low and slowed down to be plainly seen, not wanting to surprise anyone too much. The first person to come running out of the house, to Harry's surprise, was Hermione. He touched down a few yards from the gate. Hermione didn't even bother opening the gate, but jumped over it instead and ran into Harry's waiting arms.
"Harry!" She hugged him and kissed him with all her might. "Oh, Harry! Is it really you? Is it?"
Harry laughed, "Yes, Hermione, it's me. It's really me." He whirled her around, overjoyed to be holding his friend in his arms. "Here, let me take a look at you." He stepped back and admired the woman Hermione had become. She was taller than he recalled, though not nearly as tall as him, and even more beautiful than he remembered her being. "Goodness, it's so good to set my eyes on you, Hermione Granger," he smiled.
Hermione giggled and held up her hand to show off the ring sitting on her ring finger. "It's Hermione Weasley now." Her eyes sparkled, happily.
"No! Really?" He took her hand and looked at the modestly sized stone. "It's beautiful. I'm so happy for you. Ron is one lucky man." He looked up at her glowing face and thought he had never seen her look so radiant before.
Just then from behind Hermione, a booming voice came, "You bastard!"
They both turned to see Ron Weasley storming towards them.
"Now, Ron, you promised." Hermione positioned herself between the two old friends.
"It's alright, Hermione." Harry gently took her by her arms, and moved her aside. "I've been expecting this."
Ron closed in on Harry, his face almost as red as his hair. "You bastard! You've got some nerve just showing up all of a sudden, unannounced and all."
"Hi Ron, it's been a long time."
"Really, since when? Oh, I remember, since you left us locked in Sirius' old house for a month!" Ron fumed.
"I did it for your own good. And mine. I'd never be able to live with myself if either of you had been seriously injured or worse, killed while hunting down Voldemort." For the first time that Harry could remember, Ron didn't flinch at hearing that name.
"I know that, you prat!" Ron snarled, and then grabbed Harry by the lapels of his robes. "But you could have come back long enough to be my best man at our wedding." He couldn't hold back a smile any longer. "I'm just so glad you're alive." Ron pulled his friend into a tight hug. "You prat, you had us so worried."
Harry hugged Ron back just as fiercely. "I missed you too, Ron."
After several minutes, Hermione whispered softly. "We're not the only ones who've missed you, Harry."
Ron released his friend and stepped aside. Standing next to Hermione was the one person, Harry allowed himself to dream about in those long lonely nights over the past three years. "Ginny." He whispered.
"Hello, Harry," she choked out through her tear stained expression. "I've missed you."
Harry rushed forward, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her deeply, fiercely. She didn't hesitate to reciprocate.
While they kissed, Hermione walked around, took Ron's hand, and led him back to the house. Molly Weasley was just starting to walk out of the house when her youngest son and her favorite daughter-in-law walked up to her steering her back inside.
"Oh god, I've missed you, Ginny," Harry whispered in her ear. "I've missed you so much."
"Not half as much as I've missed you, Harry," She whispered into his chest. "There hasn't been a day these three long years that I haven't cried myself to sleep wondering if you were still alive or not." She tightened her hold on him. "Oh, Harry."
"Oh, Ginny but you promised me. You promised to move on with your life," Harry countered, though he was secretly glad to hear her thoughts were only of him.
"How could I move on to someone else? Who could ever compare to the great Harry Potter." She laughed weakly, and then began to cry.
"Ginny." He kissed her softly. "Don't cry, please don't cry."
"I can't help it," she whispered between tears. "I've missed you so much."
Harry held her tightly in his arms and whispered tender words of reassurance in her ear. At one point, she even laughed softly, and slowly her tears stopped flowing.
For the first time in almost a year, Harry felt hesitant. He knew what he wanted to do, what he wanted to say, but standing here in front of the Burrow, with Ginny in his arms, he was more terrified than when he was facing any number of Death Eaters, werewolves, dementors, giants, or even Voldemort himself. However, he gathered up his courage and said, "Ginny, I know we haven't seen each other in three years, so I'll understand if you'd like to take it slow at first-"
Ginny placed her fingers over Harry's lips. "If you ask me what I think you really want to ask me, the answer will be yes," She smiled.
'Does she truly mean that?' Harry could hardly believe it, himself. 'We only dated a few months and that was three years ago. I told myself so many times over these past two years that if I survived, I'd do this; if I ever saw her face again, I wouldn't allow another day to pass without letting her know how I truly feel. Even if it could never be, I promised myself not to hold back. No regrets, not now, not ever.' Harry drew in a deep breath and stared her squarely in the eyes. "Ginny Weasley, will you marry me?"
The words had barely left his lips, when she answered, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" She kissed Harry with all her might. "Yes!" And she kissed him again.
Never before in his life had Harry ever felt so light, so free, and overflowed with joy. He scooped her up in his arms and whirled her around. She laughed and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
"I've never felt this happy before, not even when I've flown on my broomstick." Ginny giggled.
"Why don't we?" Harry laughed.
"Why don't we what?"
Harry smiled then stretched out his hand. "Up!" His Firebolt leapt up into his hand.
"You don't mean both of us on your broom?"
"Yes," he nodded.
She looked stunned for a moment and then smiled. "I think that's a splendid idea." She released him and turned around so her back was facing Harry. They straddled his broomstick and the next moment they were soaring through the air together.
Ginny let out a scream of exhilaration as they streaked off over her home and between a gap in the clouds. Soaring above the clouds now, Harry leveled off and zoomed over the fluffy billows of white.
"Is this as fast as she'll go?" Ginny yelled.
Harry grinned. "Slide back a bit and hold on tight." She did as he said. He leaned into her, pressing his chest against her back to get her to lean into the broom. As if Harry had just kicked on its afterburners, the Firebolt rocketed across the sky like a dark blur.
Ginny screamed again and laughed with joy. "This is fantastic!"
After a few minutes, Harry asked, "What to touch the sun?"
"What?" Ginny cried out in shock.
Suddenly, he pulled hard on the broomstick, pointing its nose upward towards the sun. Ginny closed her eyes to the bright burning orb, enjoying the strange feeling of cold air washing over her body along with the warmth of the sun shining upon her face. Even with her eyes closed, she could see the great star shining brightly through her eyelids. "Merlin's beard, this is amazing! I almost feel like I could just reach out and touch the sun!"
When it started getting hard for them to breath, Harry leveled off and slowed down. "Want to steer for a bit?"
"Are you serious?"
Harry scooted even closer to Ginny and let go of the broomstick, placing his hands firmly around her waist. "She's all yours!"
Ginny grinned wickedly. She leaned into the broom a bit more and hooked her feet over Harry's calves. She took them into a whirling dive for a few thousand feet before leveling off and banking hard left then right in rapid succession.
They howled and laughed through it all, and before they knew it more than an hour had passed. With a subtle hint of regret, they turned towards the ground and came in for a landing just beyond the front gate.
Ginny hopped off and laughed. "Promise me we'll do that again. Soon, very soon."
"We will. I promise." Harry got off and took her hand. "As often as we can."
They kissed and held each other close for a moment. "Come. Everyone will be thinking we've run off or something." She took his hand and led him into the house.
They all greeted Harry with excitement and anticipation in hopes of hearing of how he defeated Voldemort and his legends of followers.
With everyone sitting around the dinner table, Arthur and Molly served up glasses of honey wine. Then Arthur lifted his glass and announced, "A toast! To Harry Potter! The greatest young wizard of our time," he smiled. "And our friend."
"Here, here!" George, Fred, Bill and Ron shouted in agreement. Then everyone drained their glasses and Arthur set about refilling them, but when he came to Hermione's glass, he saw that it was still full. "Don't you like honey wine, my dear?"
"Yes, I do, very much so, father." She looked over at Ron then over at Harry and then back at Ron.
"Well," Ron spoke up for his wife. "We didn't want to say anything yet, not with Harry arriving today and all."
"Say what, Ron? Is something wrong?" Arthur gave Ron and Hermione a worried look, but Molly smiled knowingly. "I don't think, wrong, is the word they would use, Arthur."
Ron and Hermione looked at each other and blushed slightly, but Hermione nodded to his questioning stare and he cleared his throat before continuing. "Well, you see- that is to say- we- well actually, Hermione-"
"Spit it out already!" George snapped impatiently.
"I'm pregnant," Hermione finally blurted out.
Ginny and Fleur leapt from their seats and hugged Hermione tightly.
"That's wonderful!" Ginny smiled happily.
"Congratuu-lasions," Fleur added and kissed the mother-to-be on the cheek.
"Thank you. Thank you," she said to each of her sister-in-laws.
Everyone else cheered and applauded. Ron's brothers each took turns slapping him on the back and ruffling his hair, while their father leaned far over the table and shook his hand fiercely. Hermione stood up and leaned over to accept a kiss on the cheek from her father-in-law as well.
Molly rushed around the table and pulled Hermione into a tight hug. "Oh, my dear! I'm so happy for you!" She kissed her daughter-in-law on each cheek and hugged her tightly again. Then she turned to her son and pulled him up from his chair. "My boy! My baby boy! He is going to be a father!" She squeezed him so tightly; his face began to turn purple.
"Easy Mum," Fred patted her on the arm. "You're going to squeeze the life out of him before the baby's even born."
"Oh, yes." She let Ron go and he collapsed into his chair with a thud.
Flushed with embarrassment, Molly darted into the kitchen muttering something about making Hermione a special tea to help with the pregnancy.
Harry finally stood up and made his way over to his two best friends. "I'm so happy for the both of you." He hugged and kissed Hermione, then took Ron's hand as if to shake but pulled him into a hug instead. "Congratulations, congratulations."
"You will be our child's godfather, won't you? I mean, since you weren't here to be my best man and all," Ron smirked, then glanced at Hermione and his expression turned very serious. "There really is no one else we'd want."
"Of course, I'd be honored." Harry smiled at his two friends and hugged both of them again.
All conversion shifted from Harry's adventures to Ron and Hermione's expected child, which was just fine with Harry. Though he was never one to seek the limelight, it always seemed to find him nonetheless. He reached over and looked at Ginny who was sitting next to him, took her hand under the table and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Ginny leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Let's wait until tomorrow to tell everyone."
Harry smiled thankfully and nodded. She smiled back and kissed him upon the cheek, which went unnoticed by everyone except Fleur who was doing her best to ignore all the fuss over Hermione's pregnancy.
As the conversation died down, Arthur turned to Harry and said, "We'll have to throw a party in your honor tomorrow and invite all your friends. Remus and Nymphadora will want to come and see you. And Alastor too, as well as Kingsley, of course. Perhaps some of your teachers from Hogwarts. I'm sure they would love to hear the tales of their most famous student." Arthur gleamed proudly. "Give me a list of your friends as well. I'll be sure to invite all of them."
Harry sighed silently but nodded with a forced smile.
"Are you alright, Harry dear?" Molly asked while setting another cup of tea in front of Hermione.
"I'm fine Mrs. Weasley, just a bit tired, that's all," Harry replied.
"Of course you are dear. Why don't you get some sleep? You can use George and Fred's old room," Molly offered.
Looking over at the twins, Harry replied, "Well, I wouldn't want to put anyone out."
"Don't worry about it," said George.
"We never spend the night anymore," added Fred.
"We'll just Apparate back to our apartment over our shop," George explained.
"Mum's fixed up our old room as a guest room anyway. Only one bed now," Fred finished.
"Well," Harry stood up and looked around the table. "If you don't mind, I'm going to get some sleep. Goodnight everyone." He nodded towards everyone, then turned towards Ginny, and lightly stroked her cheek with the back of his finger, giving her one last smile. Then he headed up the stairs and disappeared.
Everyone sat quietly around the table for a few more minutes until Arthur suggested, "Let's retire to the lounge, shall we?" Everyone agreed and headed over to the well lived in living room.
Ron, Hermione, and Ginny sat on the sofa. Hermione pulled out her knitting which was in a bag next to the sofa and began magically knitting.
"Is that for the baby, dear?" Molly asked, sitting down in the small chair next to her husband.
"No," Hermione smiled. "I still have plenty of time for that. I promised Ron I'd make him a pair of fingerless mitts. He says it gets frightfully cold in the office at times."
"That it does," Arthur agreed. "Would you mind making me a pair as well, dear?"
"Not at all, father." Hermione reached down into her bag and pulled out three skeins of yarn. "Which color would you prefer?"
"The green would be nice," Arthur answered.
"I thought you preferred, maroon." Molly frowned.
"Well… I do dear, normally. But it doesn't hurt to change things up a bit, now and again," her husband answered nervously.
Hermione struggled to hide a grin. Turning away from her in-laws, she noticed the vacant look on Ginny's face. "Ginny?"
The youngest of the Weasley children continued to stare off with unfocused eyes.
Ron reached over and flicked her ear. "Ginny, Hermione called you."
"Ouch!" Ginny Weasley rubbed her ear, giving her brother an evil stare before looking over at her sister-in-law. "What is it?"
"Perhaps you should take Harry up a cup of tea, to help him sleep." Hermione flashed Ginny a knowing smile.
Ginny tried not to smile too broadly. "That's a splendid idea." However, before she could stand up, Ron got to his feet. "All right, I'll get to it," He groaned, expecting Hermione would insist on him doing it.
Ginny was about to protest, but fortunately, Hermione grabbed her husband's arm and pulled him back down onto the sofa. "You can hold this for me." She thrust the ball of yarn into Ron's hands.
Ginny smiled and went to the kitchen to make the tea.
"What do you need me to hold this for?" Ron protested, but Hermione simply answered, "Because" and swung her legs over his to keep him from moving.
Fleur giggled. "He is quite denze, no?"
"Yes, he is," Hermione answered. "But I love him anyway." She leaned forward to kiss Ron on the cheek. Everyone had a good laugh at Ron's expense, who was still at a loss for what they were laughing at.
-
Harry stood by the window with his shirt in his hand, staring up at the stars wondering if the nightmares would continue or would he finally be rid of them now that he was safe, at a place he could call home for at least a little while.
There was a knock at the door. "Come in," he said without thinking.
Ginny walked in carrying a cup of tea. "I thought you might like some tea, to help you sleep," she said cheerfully before a crash signaled to Harry she had dropped what she was carrying. "Oh my god!" She put her hands over her mouth.
Harry looked at her then down at the large angry scar that covered both the front and the back of his right shoulder. "Oh, sorry." He said softly and started putting his shirt back on then pulled out his wand. Walking over to Ginny, he repaired the cup, channeled most of the tea back into it, and then levitated it up to his hand. "Sorry about that." He set the cup on the dresser.
"No, I'm sorry." Ginny reached out and took his hand. "I shouldn't have reacted like that."
"It's natural," Harry assured her. "It's not everyday someone almost has his arm torn off by a giant."
"My lord!" She reached out and gently placed her hand upon his shoulder. "Does, it hurt?"
"No." He shook his head and smiled. "Not anymore."
Ginny pulled at Harry's shirt until it slid off his shoulders and fell to the floor. She ran her hand over his scar and for the first time took a long, honest look at him. On the left side of his forehead along the hairline was a long jagged scar.
"A Death Eater struck me with a curse. He nearly killed me," Harry told her.
She ran her hand down to a scar over his right cheekbone.
"Draco Malfoy stabbed me with an enchanted knife. It cut to the bone and wouldn't heal for nearly two months. I was fortunate enough to encounter a witch with amazing healing abilities. It's a miracle all that remains of that wound is this small line and a slight dimple. Unusual place for a dimple though." Harry tried to laugh to lighten the mood but Ginny's expression remained unchanged.
Her hand then went down to his left jaw line where a long scar ran from the side of his chin to just below his ear.
"Bellatrix Lestrange missed my throat by about an inch." Harry gave up any pretense of humor.
Ginny's hand returned to the scar that covered his entire right shoulder.
"Golmomath and two of his minions," Harry said darkly. "They nearly tore my arm off. I managed to break off the portion of the cliff we were standing on and they fell to their deaths on the jagged rocks below." Harry placed his hand over Ginny's. "There's something I have to tell you about my recovery from this injury." He drew her over to the bed and they both sat down. "We fought over the cliffs of Normandy. After the giants fell to their death, I lay bleeding for what felt like hours. I wasn't sure if I would die from loss of blood or from the sheer pain I was experiencing. Fortunately, a young witch happened my way. She stopped the bleeding and took me to her home to treat my wounds. My recovery seemed slow but considering the extent of my injury I suppose it was actually quite fast. Her name was Violeta Seduciuous." Harry struggled to maintain eye contact. You see, she was half-Veela."
Ginny started to draw her hand from his but Harry held it tight. "In my weakened state, she used her powers upon me." He looked away for a moment then looked back into Ginny's eyes. "But as I grew stronger, my ability to resist her Veela Magic increased. Eventually, though not entirely healed, I managed to walk away and continue my quest. It wasn't my need to kill Voldemort that enabled me to leave that house; it was the vision of you in my arms that empowered me to finally overcome her spell."
Ginny's eyes were watery and a few tears escaped running down her cheeks. "Did you make love to her?"
"Yes," Harry whispered.
Fighting back the tears, Ginny asked, "Did you love her?"
"No, never," he said without hesitation.
Ginny slowly moved closer to Harry and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head upon his damaged shoulder. "Do you have nightmares?" she whispered.
This time Harry did hesitate but only for a moment. "Yes."
"How often? For how long now?"
"Every time I sleep. For well over a year."
Sitting up straight, Ginny gently pushed Harry down onto the bed, and then slid in next to him, nuzzled under his arm, and laying her head upon his chest.
"Ginny, what are you doing?"
"Let me chase away the nightmares, at least for tonight."
Harry glanced towards the bedroom door. "But your parents--"
"They'll understand; I'm sure."
Harry wasn't so sure, but exhaustion was coming on fast and he was in no mind to argue.
"You know, I think it's a good thing that you've done it already. Honestly," Ginny whispered unconvincingly. "This way, at least one of us will have had some experience going into our wedding night; takes some of the awkwardness out of it."
Harry tightened his grip on her. "I love you so much," he said softly into her hair. Closing his eyes, he inhaled. 'Spring flowers, she still smells of spring flowers. Perhaps she can chase away my nightmares.'
"I love you, Harry Potter. I always have and I always will." Ginny lifted her head to look up at him. Harry looked down into her sparkling brown eyes, and then craned his neck to draw closer to her. She inched up a bit and kissed him, sweetly, lovingly.
Setting back down, they both fell asleep in less than a minute.
About an hour later, the door to the bedroom opened, as Arthur and Molly poked their heads in. "See, I told you. Quite innocent. Harry is a gentleman, through and through." Molly whispered confidently.
"Yes, yes, his is, isn't he?" Arthur grudgingly agreed. "But he is without his shirt, isn't he?"
"Oh Arthur." Molly pulled the door closed.
"Why do you suppose she… well, you know?" Arthur sputtered.
"After two years of hunting and being hunted by evil, don't you think the young man might be haunted by more than a few nightmares?" Molly reasoned.
Arthur thought about it for a moment, remembering his own restlessness that lasted for months after being attacked by Voldemort's snake. "I-I hadn't thought of that." He looked sadly at the bedroom door. "I can't even begin to imagine the horrors that boy must has seen and experience these past two years."
Molly wrapped herself around Arthur's arm and smiled up at him. "You needn't worry. Our Ginny will heal his wounded soul."
Arthur looked down at his wife, running his free hand lightly over her cheek. "Yes, I suppose you are right. After all, she is your daughter."
"Our daughter."
Arthur smiled. "Yes, our daughter." He leaned down and kissed his wife then led the way to their bedroom.
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(To Be Continued)
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