Author's note: I wanted to break with tradition and call this songfic "The Final Night," referring to the final night together of our protagonists. But then, I figured that I'll continue the tradition! So, this story's 'a.k.a.' is – of course you know this – "The Final Night."
Review and vote to tell me which is better!
Disclaimer: I don't own Air Supply, (but I'll be using lots of the songs in the next few weeks) and I don't own JK Rowling's characters either.
Time: In between Book Six and Book Six! Ha ha ha! But not quite AU.
Act 1
Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry.At the funeral of the late Headmaster, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
Harry James Potter gazed out at Dumbledore, encased in his cold, white, eternal tomb, and then turned to walk away. He was probably the last to leave, all the mourners having made their way back to the castle long before.
As he slowly trudged back to the castle of Hogwarts, he felt rather than saw the presence nearby. Then, he recognised the light footsteps, and sighed heavily.
"What do you want?" he asked, somewhat fiercely. Then again, considering what had just happened…
"I'm sorry, Harry. But…since this is our last night together…could we just go stargazing?" This ended with a small sniffle, and Harry felt HER hand pluck at his robes, and softly close over his own hand, and he felt her gaze on his face.
He flushed, feeling her eyes travel over his face, resting on his own eyes.
"Gin… It's too dangerous."
"It's our last night until this bloody war is over with! Please…Harry."
He sighed again. "Fine. But we'd better be back before midnight."
They walked hand in hand, like a real couple, shoulders brushing against each other, and basically doing as they would if this had been a normal term at Hogwarts.
"Where are we going?" she asked. Harry smiled.
"A spot I know that's perfect for stargazing. And it's got the best view of the lake."
Act 2
Harry found the spot; the little hollow in the ground, with a few trees, bushes and flowers shielding them from the howling wind – and the windows at Hogwarts that looked out here – that Harry recognised from his little peek in Snape's memory.
Where his father, Remus and Sirius had spent most of their free time.
Harry involuntarily clenched his fist at the thought of Snape. Whatever happened, he was going to make sure he plucked Snape's limbs off one by one. Then, as he realized that his fingernails were biting into his skin, even though they were quite short, he let go.
She didn't seem to have noticed a thing. They stopped, in the very middle of the mini-grotto, with just one tall tree above their heads.
"Oh, Harry! It looks so…romantic by moonlight…"
Even he himself was struck by the beauty of the place. Moonlight shone down from between the trees, and here and there fireflies danced, nightingales sung their beautiful melodies and…well, it was just what Harry had dreamed of.
"Yeah. It's…nice, isn't it?"
He spread out his cloak for them on the ground, and they lay on it. Harry was aware of the closeness of her hair, of her body, of her face of…
Ginny turned around, and suddenly kissed him. On the lips.
Harry was shocked. Pleasantly so. He pulled back, and so did she, gazing at each other in surprise. They sat up, he in total surprise and she in total embarassment.
"I – I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me…maybe I came on too strong, I…"
Harry was conscious of his heart beating madly. This was different from Cho. He ran the very tip of his tongue over his lips, trying to gather in as much of her…taste, as possible.
"I…let's just…look at stars…" Ginny was stammering, still trying to save the situation, the hot flush that so reminded Harry of her brother creeping over her neck and face, and floundering when Harry leaned in and kissed her back.
He wasn't really aware of what he was doing, just aware of Ginny shifting her position, first in shock, then in delighted surprise, reciprocating, and he was aware of male instinct taking over, hugging her like a friend, except this was more intimate, more protective, more caring, more…loverlike.
I know just how to whisper,
And I know just how to cry;
I know just where to find the answers;
And I know just how to lie.
He didn't feel his back against the tree, didn't feel anything except her. He didn't feel the awkwardness of their position, half sitting up, back against tree, and legs stretched out on the cloak in a lying position.
He felt his hand creep up her back of its' own accord, and gently stroke her hair. His nose was somehow getting tangled up with her red hair, and he breathed in, breathing in the wildflower scent of her hair, the scent that he knew was just from the shampoo that she used. But to him, the smell was purely Ginny Weasley.
I know just how to fake it,
And I know just how to scheme;
I know just when to face the truth,
And then I know just when to dream.
He could almost feel his pulse quicken, as she ran her hands over his back and kissed him harder. He could feel her body moulding itself against his, feeling her curves and her body, and he knew that she felt the same too.
And I know just where to touch you,
And I know just what to prove;
I know when to pull you closer,
And I know when to let you loose.
They finally broke for air, and stared at each other for a long time, marveling at their first kiss, before lying back down on the cloak and against the tree, with her head on his chest, snuggled up against him, his arms around her and her hands holding his.
"Wow, Harry. Who knew you were such a great kisser." She was still catching her breath.
"I'm not! I just…I don't know, I haven't been doing anything. You were great, though."
"Instinct?"
"Yep."
"Same here."
Between intervals, they kissed again, embracing each other, and just enjoying the company of the other. Harry felt such peace in his heart as he had never felt before.
"I wish tonight would go on forever."
And I know the night is fading,
And I know that time's gonna fly;
And I'm never gonna tell you everything
I've got to tell you,
But I know I've got to give it a try.
Harry knew the night would soon be over. And he could not continue this relationship, as it would just make her an irresistible target for Voldemort and his cronies.
But just for this night, he wanted to tell her the secret that had been hiding in his heart for so long. He wanted to tell her the thing the monster inside him wanted to shout out, wanted to scream out the stuff he had been keeping bottled up for so long…
And I know the roads to riches,
And I know the ways to fame;
I know all the rules
And then I know how to break 'em
And I always know the name of the game.
Harry chuckled softly. Just look at the Boy-Who-Lived now…struggling with his feelings, unable to pluck up the courage to say what he wanted to say to the girl whom he loved…
But I don't know how to leave you,
And I'll never let you fall;
And I don't know how you do it,
Making love out of nothing at all
Harry swallowed, and rested his head against the tree. He sat there for a while, staring up at the sky. He shifted just once as he levitated the cloak out from under them and covered it over him and Ginny, who had gone to sleep with her head on his chest and her arms around his waist.
Making love
Out of nothing at all,
Making love
Out of nothing at all,
Making love
Out of nothing at all,
Making love
Out of nothing at all,
Making love
Out of nothing at all…
He began to remember those little things that he'd forgotten in the hectic pace of the battles against Voldemort. Like when Ginny had comforted him as he fumed, banned from playing Quidditch by Dolores Umbridge. Or when she had stayed up to keep him company in his fifth year while he tried to study for his OWLs.
Every time I see you all the rays of the sun
Are streaming through the waves in your hair;
And every star in the sky is taking aim
At your eyes like a spotlight.
The beating of my heart is a drum, and it's lost
And it's looking for a rhythm like you.
And then there was the time when, after Sirius's death, she'd just comforted him silently on the train ride home, just by being there, accompanying and sharing with him in his grief. She'd always been there, helping him ride through the roller-coaster of life, rejoicing with him when he was up and helping him up when he was down.
You can take the darkness from the pit of the night,
And turn into a beacon burning endlessly bright.
I've got to follow it, 'cause everything I know, well it's nothing till I give it to you.
And he knew, that when the last came to the last, when he faced Voldemort and his minions, Ginny would be there, rooting for him, supporting him, helping him up when he fell.
I can make the run or stumble,
I can make the final block;
And I can make every tackle, at the sound of the whistle,
I can make all the stadiums rock.
And right now, all of his doubts, his fears, his trepidation, were all swept away. It was as if a power had come into his body. Harry glanced at his fingers, half-expecting electricity to leap from the fingertips.
He was going to do this. He was going to find the Horcruxes, destroy them, kill Voldemort, free the world of the evil which had so mercilessly gripped it for the best part of a few decades.
I can make tonight forever,
Or I can make it disappear by the dawn;
And I can make you every promise that has ever been made,
And I can make all your demons be gone.
It was probably around three in the morning, guessed Harry. Harry shook Ginny gently, and she woke up almost immediately. She took a look at her surroundings, then straddled Harry, kissing him as the couple rolled over on the grass.
"Ginny, I've got something to tell you." He whispered in her ear.
"Yes?"
"I…I love you. But…I'm going to have to go away. They're shutting Hogwarts down, and I'm going to find Voldemort's Horcruxes and kill him."
She was surprised by the determination in his voice, he could see that.
"Fine. And I suppose you're going to tell me I have to stay, right?"
"No. I…want you to come with me. I want you to come help me fight the Horcruxes. If there's one thing that can kill them it's probably love."
"And?"
"And I love you, Ginny."
But I'm never gonna make it without you,
Do you really want to see me crawl?
And I'm never gonna make it like you do,
Making love out of nothing at all.
She kissed him, and then kissed him again, and again. They rolled over, and stared up at the sky, intertwined with one another.
Making love
Out of nothing at all,
Making love
Out of nothing at all,
Making love
Out of nothing at all,
Making love
Out of nothing at all,
Making love
Out of nothing at all…
How's that? Read and review, please.