A/N: This is sort of a song-fic based on Because You Live, by Jesse McCartney. I based it mainly on the line "because you live, I live." Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot! All the characters are J.K.R.'s—unfortunately.
Harry stared out the window after Ron and Hermione left Dumbledore's office. There was the red sunrise that he only saw as a reminder that people had died.
"Harry?" He turned to face Dumbledore's portrait once more. "Shouldn't you be celebrating, my dear boy? I'm not saying there isn't a lot to get through...but you did it." There were various shouts and applause from of the portraits around the office.
"I guess I'll go and..." He trailed off, nodded at Dumbledore and left the office, walking slowly to the Gryffindor Common Room. Hopefully Ginny would be there...he really didn't want to go back down to the Great Hall and have to answer all of those questions.
The Fat Lady swung open when she saw him coming, but not after bursting into tears and applause, along with every other portrait in the vicinity. When he climbed through the Portrait Hole, he was relieved to see the Weasley's sitting around the Common Room.
Mrs. Weasley shot up when she saw him, and rushed over to hug him tightly. "Thank you, Harry, thank you so much..." She burst into tears and Mr. Weasley gently pried her away from him and they went up the stairs.
Harry ran a hand through his hair and his gaze fell on Ginny. Their eyes locked and hers narrowed for a moment, but then she seemed to falter and beckoned. Harry walked over slowly and sank onto the couch next to her. Ginny stared at him for a moment before leaning forward and sliding her arms around his torso, clutching the back of his shirt. Shaking, Harry slid one of his hand up her back and fisted it into her hair. He wrapped the other around her waist, pulling her into his lap and burying his face in her neck, breathing in the scent that was so, undeniably Ginny. It was the scent that made him feel at home.
"I thought I lost you. Oh God, Harry, don't ever do that to me again." Ginny whimpered.
Harry lifted his head and gave a shaky smile to Ron and Hermione, who smiled sadly back.
"Ginny?" Bill's voice came from in front of Harry and he turned his head to look at him. "Is she okay?"
"She will be. We all will." Harry answered. "Gin...? Come on, it's okay." She shook her head into his chest, refusing to let go. Harry kissed the side of her head. "Shhh...it'll all be okay. We'll all be alright."
After a moment Ginny picked her head up and glanced at Ron and Hermione before turning back to Harry and moving her hands to his chest. "Harry...how did you...why...what...?" She trailed off, searched his face for a minute, and then took a deep breath. "You were dead." She said finally.
Harry looked at one of his hands, which was on her neck. "I'm sorry." He said hoarsely.
"So...you were dead then?" Harry looked up at her and saw that her lower lip was trembling.
"Yeah." He said finally. "I was...and it seemed for a while, but when I came back it could only have been two seconds after the curse hit me." His eyes met Bill's for a moment, then locked with Ginny's.
"How did you come back?" Ginny asked in a choked voice, tears in her eyes.
"To make a long story short...it wasn't my time. But I could have chosen to go on...I guess. For me, though, there was no choice...no thought involved."
"Why did you come back? I mean...you would have been with your Mum and Dad and Sirius and..." Ginny trailed off.
"If I came back there was the chance to finish everything...to end the pain, the death...but to tell you the truth my parents and Sirius didn't really cross my mind...they don't compare to the reason I really came back." Harry was silent a moment, searching Ginny's face. "I came back because of you. For you." Harry clasped her hand with his.
Tears were dripping down Ginny's cheeks now as she leaned forward and clutched his shirt again, leaning her forehead against his shoulder. "I missed you so much." She whispered. "So much."
"I'm sorry I had to go." He whispered back, pressing his lips to the top of her head.
"I know. I know you are." Ginny said, smiling softly as she looked up at him.
"Would someone like to tell me when this happened?" Bill's voice came from behind Ginny and she turned to look at him.
"At the end of my fifth year." Ginny said simply.
"Really? What about that summer?" Bill asked sharply, narrowing his eyes at Harry.
"Harry?" Hermione asked suddenly. "Harry...you got hit with another killing curse."
"Yeah." Harry replied, puzzled.
"Do you think you have another scar?" She asked.
Ginny didn't miss a beat. Without waiting for Harry's reply, she pulled the front of Harry's shirt up(ignoring Ron and Bill's protests) and gasped. "Oh my god, Harry, why didn't you say anything?" She exclaimed.
"I was a little occupied with making sure Voldemort didn't realize I was alive." Harry said dryly, looking down at his chest as well. It was black and blue, completely bruised, and when he gave a dry laugh it felt like he broke at least one of his ribs. "But now that you mention it, I'm pretty sure at least one of my ribs is broken."
"Harry!" Hermione jumped up and gave Ginny a look. "Get off of him." Ginny did so amusedly.
"Are you going to try and steal him from me?" She asked with a laugh as Hermione forced Harry to lie back on the couch and take off his shirt.
"That won't happen, Gin, don't worry." Harry said with an amused look at the disgruntled Hermione. Ron laughed at the look on his new girlfriend's face. "Hermione, what are you doing?"
"A diagnostic spell to see if you actually did break a rib." Hermione waved her wand over his chest and scowled at him after a moment. "You should have said something sooner. Three ribs, Harry, three."
"It's not as though I'm not used to pain." Harry said, starting to sit up.
"I don't think so." Ginny said, pushing him back down. "I can heal them."
"I think I'll go to Madame Pomfrey." Harry said quickly, looking at Ginny warily.
Ginny giggled, straddling his waist. "Too late."
"Ginny! What the hell are you doing?" Bill yelped, as Ron groaned.
"Healing him." Ginny said simply. She ran her wand along his chest for a few minutes, healing the ribs carefully, and then started another motion with her wand, but Harry grabbed her wrist with a smirk.
"Nice try."
"What? I was going to get rid of the bruises." Ginny said innocently.
"Does that have the same wand movement and incantation as the tickling charm?" Harry growled, flipping her over onto her back so he was on all fours above her.
"Um..." Ginny clearly didn't think he would notice.
"Thought so." Harry said, starting to tickle her.
Ginny erupted into giggles. "Stop!" She squealed. "Harry please!"
"If you try to tickle me, I tickle you. That's the rules of the game. Remember?" Harry stopped tickling her and grinned at her shocked look.
"You remembered?" Ginny whispered.
Harry gave her a look. "Of course I remember. I remember every moment with you like Hermione remembers a textbook. Everything."
"Every single thing?" Ginny asked, raising a doubtful eyebrow.
"Every single thing." Harry repeated. "For example..." He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I remember that you told me your secret favorite color is pink, but you made your brothers think it was blue, because you didn't want them to make fun of you. You also secretly love getting dressed up but you're really picky about what you wear, because you think you don't look good in anything-which I have to disagree with." He lifted his head up a few inches so his face was right above hers. "Ask me any question and I guarantee I'll have the answer."
Ginny stared at him for a moment and then leaned up and kissed him. Harry responded in kind, slipping his hand in her hair and holding her to him.
He only pulled away when Bill cleared his throat.
"What?" Harry asked tiredly, slowly getting to his feet and facing Bill. "Say what you want to say."
"I was just wondering what your intentions are." Bill said, not deterred by Harry's attitude.
"To see where time will take us. To make this last. As long as possible." Harry glanced at Ginny, who smiled at him with tears in her eyes. "To know...just...I have good intentions." He met Bill's eyes and stared at him.
Bill seemed to search Harry's face as if he could see everything there. His eyes showed more sadness as he stared at him. "You look older."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you?"
Bill nodded slightly. "I think we all are. But you...how are you doing it?"
Harry tilted his head. "I'm not sure it's sunk it yet." He said quietly. "When it does, though...it's happened before." Harry shrugged.
"I'll be here." Ginny said, kissing him on the cheek.
A small smile flickered across Harry's face. "I know. I know." he whispered, taking her hands and interlacing their fingers. "I did it, you know. I'm alive. I survived the hell that's been my life for the past seventeen years." He vaguely noticed Ron and Hermione leaving the Common Room and Bill going to the bottom of the stairs to the dormitories.
Ginny nodded. "I know. And I want to hear all about it."
"You will, don't worry. You will. We have years. All I want you to know right now is that it's because you're here and alive that I was able to do it." Harry leaned his forehead against hers and Ginny smiled, tears dripping down her face.
"I love you."
Harry leaned forward and caught her lips in a gentle kiss, then pulled away and stared into her eyes-eyes that he could lose himself in forever.
"I love you, too."
Bill watched them stand together for a moment, then then turned to go up the stairs. Supposing he had always known they'd end up together, he wondered why it had taken a reassurance that everything would be alright, then decided that didn't matter anymore. They were the perfect couple...in looks and personality. He knew they would have a hard time with Charlie, maybe, and possibly Percy, but for now...they were what everybody needed. The Chosen One moving past the hard stages of his life. It was like a perfect fairy tale, but there was one point to it all and Bill made Dumbledore proud by just thinking it.
All everyone needed in this war torn and recovering world was a little more love.