Black Swan

It was the final battle, on Halloween night. Ginny fought on the sidelines as her one true love, Harry Potter, battled with the evil Voldemort. They were at the Ministry of Magic, in the middle of the Atrium, fighting for their lives. Multiple Order members were trying to fend off the numerous Death Eaters who were attacking them. It seemed like she would never stop fighting. Everyone stopped fighting to watch the battle that was taking place before his or her eyes. Voldemort and Harry were engaged in a vicious duel. People had to dodge spells and curses that didn't reach their planned target. Ginny watched Harry in fear as he was almost hit with a sinister jet of green light. She squealed when he was hit with a Reductor curse, leaving a gaping wound on his side. One last spell from each and an incandescent white light lit up the entire Atrium. You could see gold everywhere. It was Priori Incantatem. Ginny couldn't bear to look; therefore, she clamped her eyelids shut. She opened her eyes when she realized everyone else resumed there fighting. All of sudden a deafening scream was heard from all of the Death Eaters in the room. They all caught on fire and just like a snap with the fingers, they were gone. Ginny knew something was wrong. She quickly moved her line of vision towards Harry. She saw that Voldemort was no longer there; there was a mountain of dust, where he was standing moments before. She gasped as she saw Harry on the floor with blood sprawled around him. She ran over to him as quickly as her legs would carry her. Tears were cascading down her cheeks. She dropped her body down next to him. It seemed as if time froze. She knew …she knew he wouldn't make it.

The sun has fallen and it lies in blood.

'Harry…oh merlin!" she barely whispered as she saw the extent of his wound. No magic could heal it… it was too late.

"Ginny…?"he rasped. She lovingly gazed into his eyes.

"Wh-what Harry?" she barely uttered. She watched Harry use most of the strength he had left to pull a small golden ring off of his smallest finger that handed to her. He started to gasp for air and blood came out of his mouth.

The moon is weaving bandages of gold.

"I-I love you Ginny…" he whispered and slowly wondered off into a void of nonexistence. Ginny held onto his hand and the ring with it as well.

"No, no…Harry you can't leave, you ca-can't leave," she pleaded. She felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest. She felt, like a part of her was dying with him. She felt guilt, anger, sadness, and agony. Most of all she felt guilt for never telling him. Never telling him that he was going to be a daddy.

O black swan, where, oh, where, is my lover gone?

"Ginny, I have something to ask you?" a nervous Harry Potter asked a beautiful red-headed girl.

Ginny's heart caught in her throat when he lowered himself on his knee. She couldn't believe what he was doing. Her eyes started to well up with tears involuntarily.

"Ginny I have known you for the better part of my life and have found that you are and will be the only one for me. I love you so much. Willyoumarryme?" he mumbled hastily.

Ginny gave him a bewildered look then her face lit up with laughter. "Slow down. Of course I'll marry you, you silly git," she finished by pulling him off his knee and embracing him with a fierce kiss. She kept her arms around his neck. They kept their lips in a tight union. Finally, they broke apart and Ginny laid her head upon his shoulder. Harry brought his mouth to her ear. "I will always love you…" he whispered.

Torn and tattered is my bridal gown, and my lamp is lost, and my lamp is lost…

Ginny woke with a start. Her forehead was drenched with cold sweat and her eyelashes held little droplets of salty water. Her head went instinctively to her stomach. It has been two months since Harry had passed. She was starting to form a little bump and it has only been three months. Her dream brought back many wonderful memories, but a lot of pain. She couldn't hold the tears in her eyes any longer. She lay back down and crawled up into a fetal position and started to sob uncontrollably. Her thoughts went back to the night they had first lain with each other, the night their baby was conceived. It was absolutely magical and she'll never have the same happiness, same warmth or feeling of love again. She will never have Harry there to protect her or to hold her when she's upset. She would never have Harry again…She broke down even more at these thoughts. Her heart broke for never telling him about their baby. He'll never know that he would have been a father. This is what hurt her the most. She couldn't bear it.

With silver needles and with silver thread, the stars stitch a shroud for the dying sun…O black swan, where, oh, where has my lover gone? I had given him a kiss of fire, and a golden ring, and a golden ring.

"Ginny…" a voice called.

Ginny's head popped up in alarm. Her nose was red and dripping with tears. Her eyes were puffy; her hair tousled from sleep. Her entire room was enveloped in darkness. She stood up slowly and strained her eyes in front of her to see if anyone was in her room. She started to shake from nerves. She grabbed her wand on her nightstand and walked slowly across her bedroom to the door. She put her hand on the doorknob and jumped slightly as she heard the voice again.

"I miss you…"

Don't you hear your lover moan?

Her heart jumped in her chest. The voice sounded vaguely like… "Harry?" she whispered in wonder.

"Ginny, I'm right here," the voice suddenly became loud and her body froze as a hand touched her shoulder. She cautiously turned around, her eyes welling with newfound tears. She closed her eyes, tears strolling down her pale cheeks. As she fully turned around, she couldn't get her eyes to open partly from fear and partly from disbelief.

"It's okay sweetie. I am here now," Harry said gently. "Open your eyes, it's really me."

"No, no, it can't be," she started to shake her head, her body starting to shake from sobs.

"Open your eyes…" he pleaded. Eventually, she gradually opened her eyelids.

Her eyes lit up in bewilderment. "Harry?" she asked. "Is it really you?" she continued. She watched him nod and her face lit up in joy. She threw her arms on him, delivering a bone-crushing hug. She reluctantly let go as she heard him chuckle to himself. "What is it?" she asked with a playful smile on her lips.

"It's just so good to see you so happy? Why aren't you happy Ginny?" he asked, his face turning sorrowful.

"Wh-what?" she faltered.

"Ginny, I can't stand you like this. I love you too darn much," he explained his face scrunched up in anguish. "It's not good for you and our child."

She quickly averted her eyes to his. "You know…but how?" she inquired. Her eyes were wide open and her face lit up in shock.

"How couldn't I know? Before I died, you were absolutely glowing and you think they don't let me know what is happening with my loved ones on the other side. Ginny I am always with you. Maybe not physically, yet spiritually. I didn't leave you," he told her. He took her hands in his and brought the back of one to his lips. "Oh, how I miss the way your skin feels."

"Wait, how do I know you are real, Harry?" she turned cold.

Eyes of glass and feet of stone, shells for teeth and weeds for tongue, deep, deep, down, in the river's bed he's looking for the ring.

Harry closed his eyes and sighed to himself. She sure was a tough girl to convince.

"Well, you remember the ring I gave you. Look at the inside."

Ginny looked up at him and took the gold ring off of her ring finger. She waited for him to continue. "Inside the band, there is an engraving. It say 'Forever Yours, Harry," he finished. He waited for her to inspect the ring. Her face lit up in amazement. She had never known that it was there. This proved that she really wasn't dreaming or hallucinating.

Eyes wide open, never asleep; he's looking for the ring, looking for the ring.

"But Harry--"

"I can't explain it myself. I missed you so much and kept on thinking about you. The last thing I know, I am here inside your room," he uttered. He couldn't bare being so close to her, yet so far away. He closed the space separating them, and embraced her in a passionate kiss. Ginny's arms circled his neck and she fell into his body, feeling at home once again. Her hands ran through his hair and Harry massaged her back. His hands eventually led to her stomach and stopped there. This is where there kissed stopped. Harry brought his eyes back to Ginny's and gave her a boyish grin. He looked like he won a prize.

"Ginny, we're going to have a baby," he said then regretted it immediately. He knew he was here only temporarily. Ginny let go of him and walked over to her bed to sit down. She stared at her crossed hands, her jaw open and her eyes blank.

The spools unravel and the needles break. The sun is buried and the stars weep.

Harry walked over to her and sat down as well. He took her hands into his. It felt wrong not to touch her with so little time left. He brought his hand to her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. Her eyes were watery once more. He brought his thumb to her cheek, wiping away the tears that escaped the grip of her beautiful eyelashes.

"Hey, don't cry Ginny. I hate it when you cry," he told her truthfully. He couldn't stand to see her like this. "What's wrong, Ginny? Please tell me," he urged her gently.

All of a sudden Ginny went on a violent rampage. She stood up and started to throw her fists at his chest. "I hate you!" she scolded. "Why did you have to leave me?" she bellowed in between blows.

"Ginny stop it please! You're going to hurt yourself," he pleaded, trying to grab her wrists to keep her from hurting herself and their unborn child. He was too late. At that moment, Ginny doubled over with pain in her abdomen. She cried out and grabbed her stomach.

"Oh no, the baby," she said, fear lacing her words.

O black wave, o black wave, take me away with you. I will share with you my golden hair, and my bridal crown, and my bridal crown.

"Ginny!" Harry cried out in horror.

He grabbed her and placed her on the bed. Blood was trailing her every move. "I need to get help," he quickly got up and walked to the door and reached for the handle, yet his hand went through. "No, not now, please not now," he started to sob. He went over to the bed and reached for Ginny hand, yet his hand went through her body. A dark stain was starting to form on the bed. He had to do something or she would bleed to death.

"Ginny, can you hear me?"

Ginny stared up at him with feverish eyes. "Harry, I can't believe it's you and you knew?" she barely managed to say.

"Ginny you have to listen to me please or you will die," he explained. He knew she already lost the baby, but he had to do something or he would lose her, like had she lost him. Sanity resurfaced in Ginny.

"Harry it's too late, please let me go…"

"Go where?" he asked her confused.

"With you. I can't stand not being with you Harry," she persuaded him. " I love you…" and with this her last breath left her mouth.

Harry leaned over her and started to sob, a single tear dropped off of his chin and floated in the air. It wasn't liquid or gas. Harry started to disappear when he heard her voice.

"Harry?"

He turned around and saw the love of his life, standing there, dressed in white robes and a baby in her arms. "Look Harry, here's our baby," she stated, a gold glow emanated from her body.

"How's that possible?"

"Anything is possible on the other side of the veil, Harry. Come on we have to go," she finished and reached out her hand for him to take. He took it and they magically faded into thin air.

Oh, take me down with you. Take me down to my wandering lover with my child unborn, with my child unborn…

A/N: This is sort of an open ending and can be confusing to some. If you have any questions just ask. Anyway, at first I wanted to make this super angsty, but I decided to stray from that for a change, so I made it sort of a happy ending. I hope you liked it and please leave a review and tell me what you did like and don't like. The song is from the Opera, 'The Medium' by Gian Carlo Menotti and is called 'The Black Swan'.

Liadan Lightflower