Ginny stared at the tall wheat around her as it swayed hypnotically. The
smell of fresh cut summer grass filled her nostrils and puffy white clouds
drifted slowly across the sky. She held out her arms, letting the cool
breeze press her clothes against her body as if they were a second skin,
and remembered.
***
Tears flowed down her cheeks, a few ending in salty drops on her chapped lips. "You can't do this!"
He hesitated before wrapping her tightly in his arms, "I have to."
She shook her head against his chest in opposition as his shirt absorbed her cries. "They're so close. . .Hermione-"
"Knows," he told her gently. "Her mind just refuses to believe what her heart already knows Ginny. She's always been like that though."
"You have to come back Harry. . .you have to take your N.E.W.T.'s and graduate. There are so many things you haven't done. . .so many things we have left to do together," she pleaded as sobs hitched in her throat.
He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers, fighting the tears that threatened to fall. "That's not my life. I'm meant to do this and if it means my sacrifice I'm willing to give it. Maybe I'll never know what it's like to be married. . .to hold a child of my own flesh and blood in my arms, but that doesn't mean you can't. Just because I won't be here doesn't mean you have to stop living too. My end is a whole world's beginning, Ginny, and I don't want anyone to make me a martyr or a hero because I'm not. I'm doing what anyone else would do. Just because I can bring an end to this madness doesn't mean I should be remembered any more than all the others who died." He paused at this and then opened his eyelids and stared at her face, memorizing it. "Can you do something for me?"
Ginny nodded and burrowed her face in his chest.
"Tell Hermione that her books did not fail her; my case was unique and now she can create her own novel to rest under the care of Madam Pince. Don't let Remus blame himself because I know he'll try; that's who he is. Make sure Ron knows I didn't abandon him. . .I'll always be there when the Cannon's play. Let your parents know that I love them and they made my life worth living. Don't let the twins forget to laugh; there is nothing the world needs more. Tell Percy that his work matters as long as he stays true to himself, and tell Bill he helped me more than he'll ever know. Charlie. . .make sure Charlie marries the girl he never told me about because she's the only person that will make him happy; I know the look of a man hopelessly in love.
"And for you Ginny, I don't ever want to see you give up. I want you to live; live your life with the passion and pleasure and love that I know you're capable of. Don't hold back even when you're angry because it's emotion that makes life worth living. I want you to move on-remember me yes, but move on. Fall in love again Ginny. . .just make sure he deserves you. Get married and have children so your mum will have more grandchildren to spoil," he smiled sadly. "Come and see me sometimes to tell me what is happening; I may not be able to talk back to you but I'll be there listening. Most importantly though-be happy."
She squeezed her eyes tightly and several more tears dropped onto her cheeks, "You tell them, Harry."
A lump rose in his throat but he swallowed, determined to force it back. "I can't Gin; there isn't any time. I need you to tell them. I need you to help them through because you're the only one who understands." Harry slowly let go of her until his hands hung limply on her hips and he stared at the freckles on the bridge of her nose, "Promise me you won't stand still; promise to fight it."
Another large sob escaped and her chin quivered as she struggled with the part of herself that told her happiness would not find her again. "I-"
"You can, Gin."
"I hate you for doing this to me!" she suddenly yelled, pounding her fists against his chest. "I hate Voldemort and I hate the fact that he can do this. I hate how you can just accept this, but most of all I hate how magic failed us."
Harry wrapped his hands around her tiny fists and left them pressed against him. "Magic hasn't failed us; there are some things reserved for only the highest of powers. Besides," he kidded, "it would be unfair to let me see beyond this life and then bring me back."
She took in a large shuddering breath, wincing as the cool air prickled the back of her throat and forced more tears from her eyes. "I love you Harry."
"I love you too Gin, that's why I have to do this. My sacrifice can save a world-a world worth living in." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before unwillingly backing away. "Promise me."
With trepidation she watched him step backwards toward the door and wrapped her arms around herself, reeling from the loss of warmth; a seeping cold had already replaced him. "I promise Harry."
***
"Ginny?"
A soft male voice broke her concentration and the sun burned her eyes as she slowly opened them. Arms enveloped her waist as her eyes stared unseeingly at the wheat once more. "Have I done well?"
"You've done more than anyone could ever ask," he told her sincerely. He smiled ever so slightly as he noticed a few new freckles she would inevitably fret over and wrinkle her nose at in the mirror.
"Have I made good on my promise?"
He nodded and kissed the bridge of her nose, "Let's go home."
***
Tears flowed down her cheeks, a few ending in salty drops on her chapped lips. "You can't do this!"
He hesitated before wrapping her tightly in his arms, "I have to."
She shook her head against his chest in opposition as his shirt absorbed her cries. "They're so close. . .Hermione-"
"Knows," he told her gently. "Her mind just refuses to believe what her heart already knows Ginny. She's always been like that though."
"You have to come back Harry. . .you have to take your N.E.W.T.'s and graduate. There are so many things you haven't done. . .so many things we have left to do together," she pleaded as sobs hitched in her throat.
He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers, fighting the tears that threatened to fall. "That's not my life. I'm meant to do this and if it means my sacrifice I'm willing to give it. Maybe I'll never know what it's like to be married. . .to hold a child of my own flesh and blood in my arms, but that doesn't mean you can't. Just because I won't be here doesn't mean you have to stop living too. My end is a whole world's beginning, Ginny, and I don't want anyone to make me a martyr or a hero because I'm not. I'm doing what anyone else would do. Just because I can bring an end to this madness doesn't mean I should be remembered any more than all the others who died." He paused at this and then opened his eyelids and stared at her face, memorizing it. "Can you do something for me?"
Ginny nodded and burrowed her face in his chest.
"Tell Hermione that her books did not fail her; my case was unique and now she can create her own novel to rest under the care of Madam Pince. Don't let Remus blame himself because I know he'll try; that's who he is. Make sure Ron knows I didn't abandon him. . .I'll always be there when the Cannon's play. Let your parents know that I love them and they made my life worth living. Don't let the twins forget to laugh; there is nothing the world needs more. Tell Percy that his work matters as long as he stays true to himself, and tell Bill he helped me more than he'll ever know. Charlie. . .make sure Charlie marries the girl he never told me about because she's the only person that will make him happy; I know the look of a man hopelessly in love.
"And for you Ginny, I don't ever want to see you give up. I want you to live; live your life with the passion and pleasure and love that I know you're capable of. Don't hold back even when you're angry because it's emotion that makes life worth living. I want you to move on-remember me yes, but move on. Fall in love again Ginny. . .just make sure he deserves you. Get married and have children so your mum will have more grandchildren to spoil," he smiled sadly. "Come and see me sometimes to tell me what is happening; I may not be able to talk back to you but I'll be there listening. Most importantly though-be happy."
She squeezed her eyes tightly and several more tears dropped onto her cheeks, "You tell them, Harry."
A lump rose in his throat but he swallowed, determined to force it back. "I can't Gin; there isn't any time. I need you to tell them. I need you to help them through because you're the only one who understands." Harry slowly let go of her until his hands hung limply on her hips and he stared at the freckles on the bridge of her nose, "Promise me you won't stand still; promise to fight it."
Another large sob escaped and her chin quivered as she struggled with the part of herself that told her happiness would not find her again. "I-"
"You can, Gin."
"I hate you for doing this to me!" she suddenly yelled, pounding her fists against his chest. "I hate Voldemort and I hate the fact that he can do this. I hate how you can just accept this, but most of all I hate how magic failed us."
Harry wrapped his hands around her tiny fists and left them pressed against him. "Magic hasn't failed us; there are some things reserved for only the highest of powers. Besides," he kidded, "it would be unfair to let me see beyond this life and then bring me back."
She took in a large shuddering breath, wincing as the cool air prickled the back of her throat and forced more tears from her eyes. "I love you Harry."
"I love you too Gin, that's why I have to do this. My sacrifice can save a world-a world worth living in." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before unwillingly backing away. "Promise me."
With trepidation she watched him step backwards toward the door and wrapped her arms around herself, reeling from the loss of warmth; a seeping cold had already replaced him. "I promise Harry."
***
"Ginny?"
A soft male voice broke her concentration and the sun burned her eyes as she slowly opened them. Arms enveloped her waist as her eyes stared unseeingly at the wheat once more. "Have I done well?"
"You've done more than anyone could ever ask," he told her sincerely. He smiled ever so slightly as he noticed a few new freckles she would inevitably fret over and wrinkle her nose at in the mirror.
"Have I made good on my promise?"
He nodded and kissed the bridge of her nose, "Let's go home."