The Thunder of the Heart
Ginny woke in blackness. For moment she lay there, wondering where she was. Then the memories flooded back, memories of blood and pain and tears. She sighed. Screams tore the silence outside and the furious pitter-patter of rain against the windows added to the cacophony of noise crashing down around her ears.
Cold hard stone pressed against her back, cold enough for her to bother to make the effort to sit up, brushing the tangles of hair out of her face.
The soft gold silk of the bridesmaid's dress, torn and tattered under her tired fingers made her want to cry. A single tear dripped off the end of her nose as she picked herself up off the floor and surveyed her surroundings.
She was standing on the landing of a dark stairwell. For a moment she stood there, leaning her pale face against the stone wall and then she remembered.
It had been the eve of Fleur and Bill's wedding when an urgent evacuation owl had arrived. The Weasley family and all the guests had fled to the ministry, only to find there what they had been running from. An image sprung into Ginny's mind. Cold crimson eyes peered at her frozen face and a dark mouth smiled cruelly from the shadows of a hood and cloak.
Ginny had been separated from her family in the chaos and suddenly finding herself alone, had hidden in the corner of a forgotten stairwell, waiting for the opportunity to do something of worth for the Order. She couldn't recall falling asleep.
Wand held tightly in her clenched fist, Ginny inwardly berated herself for falling asleep. How could she sleep when the Death Eaters killed and maimed and tortured just beyond the door. Her heart beating faster, she approached the door with apprehension. Her hand paused on the smooth, cold metal of the ornate doorknob. She shivered, but not with cold. She could die out there. Die and never come back, never see her mother again, nor her father nor her brothers. Nor Harry.
Bright green eyes came to mind, banishing that image of crimson eyes that had lingered on her thoughts like the scum of black oil over water. Harry's bright green eyes smiled at her in her mind, a smile that made a sudden wave of Gryffindor fearlessness overcome Ginny. She wrenched open the door and stepped out.
The scene that met her eyes wasn't as intimidating as she had expected. There was no one on this floor of the building; a floor she suspected was the ground floor. There were only piles of rubble and the sparkling residue of some potion or spell. Ginny stepped gingerly around the glittery substance and came to the intersection between the dark corridors.
"Which way?" she wondered aloud, still holding her beautiful gold dress off the floor with one hand. Her fingers tapped on her thigh absent-mindedly as the old terror began to rise, drying out her mouth and making her heartbeat throb in her chest. The hallway was dark. She turned and looked the other way, fear sparkling in her bright brown eyes. Flashes of spells and hoarse shouts echoed down the corridor, a long way through the dark halls. She shut her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and drawing on courage and determination. Then she ran.
Her soft gold ballet flats squeaked on the marble floors as she whipped past the doors, one hand holding her wand aloft, the other gathering her softly swishing golden skirts. The curling flames of red hair streamed out behind her like a banner. As the lighting flashes of curses and spells came closer along the dark hall, she slowed to a walk.
Walking was harder because no longer focused on running, Ginny noticed thing she hadn't before. Faint inhuman growls sounded through the stone walls. Things moved in the shadows of the half-open doors. Fear pumped through her veins like a drug, slowing time to a sickening crawl. Soon the only sound that Ginny could hear was the thunder of her own heartbeat.
She felt her body come to a jolting halt as the wall to her left exploded inwards, showering her path with rubble.
She didn't hear the eerie, echoing roar of the Mountain Troll because the thunder of her heart was too loud. But she saw it. It stopped in her path and peered at her through dull grey eyes. Its eyes looked like pebbles, faintly glimmering wet, blinking at her stupidly. She stood just as stupidly, frozen in shock and fear.
Her whole left side ached from being struck by the shock wave created by the Troll's sudden appearance through the wall. Apart from the throbbing pain, she felt numb. Her mind wouldn't move. All of a sudden the sound painfully exploded in her ears as the Troll let out an ear-splitting roar of fury. It raised its club and leered evilly down at the small figure.
Ginny felt the silk of her dress slip away from her numb fingers as feeling drained away from her body. She watched the club come down, looking away at the last second. But the pain didn't come.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" a familiar voice screamed and there was a moan and a thud. Ginny opened her eyes, the feeling beginning to melt back into her frozen body. She saw the troll for a moment, lying completely unconscious, the club fallen to its side. Then she was engulfed in a swish of red dress robes and a cloud of bushy hair.
"Hermione," she whispered, hearing an embarrassing wobble in her voice.
"Oh, Ginny," Hermione looked up and Ginny saw tears sliding freely down the pretty face. "Everyone thought you'd- d-" she paused and got her voice under control "Everyone thought you had gone."
"I'm okay," Ginny murmured, brushing dust and blood from her face. The troll groaned loudly, cutting off their sentimental moment. "We'd better go."
The two girls found another door just along the way and to their surprise, emerged into the pouring rain. Soot dripped from Hermione's nose as the rain washed away the evidence of her hardships during the night. Ginny put her face up to the rain and let out a sigh of pleasure as the hard droplets washed clean her face. Hermione smoothed her dress robes over her hips and let out a sound that Ginny couldn't have said was either a sob or a laugh. Hermione looked up, her mouth opening to say something, but before she could speak there was a sound. She raised her wand, peering suspiciously across the road towards a Muggle bus shelter.
Ginny stopped, raising her wand also, peering around at the deserted street. It was dark, the sparse trees creaking in the wind. Rain splashed down in the gutter, creating enough sound to hide the attacker. Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm, her long fingers carelessly bruising Ginny's fair skin.
"Ginny, get down," she hissed suddenly and there was an almighty bang. Sparks flew from where Hermione's scorching spell hit the bus shelter and Ginny's hair sizzled as a curse passed over her head. Ginny hit the ground hard, feeling her ribs creak and protest. The dress ripped again as she rolled away, feeling Hermione beside her do the same.
"Wait, Hermione?" A faint ghostly figure peered out from behind the bus shelter. "Ginny?"
Ginny stood up; brushing the dirt from her grazed palms, but didn't lower her wand.
"C'est moi, Fleur,"
Across the street a dozen people, mostly old men, old women and children were hiding behind the bus shelter. Ginny barely recognised the gaunt faces of her proud relatives huddled together in fright. Her younger cousins and a couple of Great Aunts and Uncles didn't recognise her either as she looked down on them.
Fleur stood to the side, holding her wand. She was obviously the only one in the group still with a fighting spirit, but barely so it seemed. There were rust coloured streaks of blood on her stained and torn white dress and her perfect blonde hair was falling from the twist at the back of her neck. Her navy blue eyes were wide and full of something Ginny couldn't quite place. Not fear, almost recklessness.
"I'm so glad you have come, now you can look after these people while I go." Fleur looked and sounded like a desperate woman, her voice low and hard.
"Go where?" Hermione asked,
Fleur just pointed. Ginny and Hermione looked up in unison. At the end of the street there was a hill. At the top of that hill was –
"Harry – " Ginny breathed.
The lightning crackle of many spells bathed the hill in an eerie light. A light enhanced by the menacing glow of the hovering Dark Mark emblazoned in the night sky.
"I'm going up there," Ginny nodded at Fleur, who looked relieved. Hermione bristled,
"I'm not staying here."
Fleur sighed and looked back down at the huddled people, her navy blue eyes filling with tears. She shook an old woman awake and Ginny felt her heart drop away. The roaring in her ears increased as she looked into the old woman's eyes and saw her own eyes.
"Mum?" she asked, hoping she hadn't not recognised her own mother's face.
"Ginny," Mrs Weasley smiled and her eyes drifted shut as if smiling had been a huge effort. "I'll look after these people, you go on."
Ginny felt a lump in her throat. She unconsciously fell to her knees, grabbing her mother's jacket and holding onto it for dear life. The familiar 'mum' smell of the fabric brought tears to her tired eyes. It smelt faintly of perfume and kitchen and wool and…Mum.
"Promise me you'll be here when I come back," she sobbed, scared because there was no more fight left in your mother's eyes. She buried her face in the warm jacket and sobbed.
"I'll always be here for you," Molly Weasley smiled, but her pulse fluttered under Ginny's fingers.
"No, Mum, no, please," Ginny lost control, sobs tearing at her throat, tears dripping off her chin and soaking her dress. "I'm too young to not have a mum."
"I'll always be your Mum, Ginevra." Molly gave one last smile. Ginny screamed, muffling her voice in the jacket, her heart breaking. When she looked up, tears still pouring down her face, she realised that Hermione and Fleur were crying quietly, terror and heartbreak in their eyes. The moment passed and she took a deep breath, calm control flooded her body.
Ginny stood up, looked at the tears on Hermione and Fleur's face and looked back up at the hill. A curious cold sensation descended over her and she realised that logically, now was not the time to cry. Now was the time to fight. Pushing her wildly raging emotions down inside her somewhere, she put on a brave face and plucked at the girls' sleeves.
"C'mon, let's go."
The hill was higher than she'd expected. It must have been a thousand billion times that she'd tried to sit down and Hermione had relentlessly pulled her sleeve or tugged her long red hair. Fleur climbed silently, looking up at the top of the hill, her dark blue eyes shining. Ginny wondered briefly if Fleur thought of her husband-to-be.
At the top of the hill, Ginny felt Hermione and Fleur drift away, aiding the wounded or the fighting. Ginny kept focused on one objective. At the very crown of the hill, Harry and You-Know-Who faced each other, circling, wands raised, illuminated by the light of the Dark Mark.
Voldemort was saying something. Ginny watched his mouth move, but couldn't hear the words. Harry's face crumpled. Ginny sped up, horror pulsing along her veins along with fear. No one hindered Ginny as she drew closer, until she was almost within the circle of light they were standing within. Grass brushed at her bare ankles, like long cold fingers pulling her back down the hill.
"All your friends are dead, little Harry." Cruel red eyes smiled and the face contorted with almost glee. "Every single one of your worthless Mudblood-loving friends are gone."
Ginny could see Harry weakening. A jet of green light arced out of Voldemort's wand. Tears poured freely down Ginny's face. She went to step forward into the circle to warn Harry, but a barrier stood between them. She could barely see it, it shimmered gold and crackled when she touched it.
The green light was still racing towards Harry. Ginny yelled and screamed, but Harry could neither see her nor hear her. The magical crackle of the barrier was beginning to hurt as she threw herself against it, but she couldn't have cared less. He ducked the green light at the last second and Ginny breathed again.
"Crucio," Voldemort lazily flicked his wand and Harry was suddenly on his knees, hands to his head, tears dripping down his face. His face was contorted with the effort of not making a sound. Ginny pushed relentlessly against the barrier, the pain beginning to blur her vision and numb her limbs.
"Harry, Harry, Harry," Voldemort drew closer, not lifting his wand. "You didn't truly think you could defeat me, did you?" he asked silkily, laughing lightly.
Harry let out roar of pain and twisted away from Voldemort, screwing up his face in agony. Ginny shut her eyes as the low hum of painful magical energy entered her brain. All she wanted was to see Harry, to help him. That single though was all that was left in her mind as pain began to sap her strength.
"Do you want me to finish this, Harry?"
Ginny didn't open her eyes, but felt the tears slipping down under her lashes. They cut a path through the soot and mud on her face. All she wanted was to help him, to help him save the world. He needed her help now. She pushed harder, lungs screaming, pain enveloping her senses. She loved him. For a single moment that image of vivid green eyes entered her mind. Eyes looking at her with such love and admiration.
She fell forwards suddenly, into the circle. For a split second, both the other occupants of the circle of light just looked at her. It seemed the longest second of her entire life. Harry looked up from where he was still on his knees in the long grass. There was no fight for life in his eyes and for a moment Ginny was scared. But then the fire ignited again and she helped him to his feet.
Voldemort didn't say anything, only looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he smiled.
"Young love," he whispered, "how fitting. You'll die just like your parents, Potter."
He turned to Ginny, who shrank back and continued to hold her wand up defensively. Fear flooded her body, but the feel of Harry's warm hand on her own helped her keep her head.
"The girl goes first." Voldemort took a step closer to the unlucky couple. He raised his wand, opened his mouth and readied himself to cast the curse that would effectively kill the last chance to free the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. Ginny shut her eyes and squeezed Harry's hand. If they had to die then so be it. At least they would die together, rather than alone. She would see her mother again.
"AVADA KEDAVRA," two voices shouted in unison…
Hermione bent over Ron, whispering a healing spell under her breath. His leg would never be the same again, thanks to Macnair, but with her help at least he would be able to walk. But Ron was distracted; he tugged on Hermione's shoulder and pointed up towards the hill.
Harry and Ginny were standing together, backed up against the shimmering barrier that Voldemort had drawn up. The Dark Lord was advancing; he wand held high, his mouth open and readying himself to shout the curse that would end the free world.
"Ginny," Ron whispered hopelessly, his eyes fixed on his baby sister, still clad in her bridesmaid's dress.
Hermione knelt down beside him, feeling tears come to her own eyes. Eyes that had cried far too much through this long night. She put her arms around him and they both watched the scene upon the hill.
Ginny felt Harry's hand suddenly on her shoulder, forcing her down into the wet grass. She complied, flattening herself to the ground. There was a whoosh and green light flashed through her lids. The hair on her head scorched as the killing curse whipped over her head. Then there was a thud of a body hitting the ground.
Ginny's heart just stopped. Then it started again, thundering in her ears.
"Harry?" she whispered, fearing the worst. A hand came down unto her shoulder as she stood up and she spun around. Instead of the crimson eyes she'd been steeling herself for, emerald green eyes met her brown ones, smiling at her with all the love in the world.
Ginny burst into to tears, feeling all the emotion she'd suppressed since her mother's death come rushing back up. She sobbed into Harry's shoulder for what felt like years. He kissed her hair and when she looked up she saw tears dripping down from under his glasses as well.
The sun was rising, gold and orange and burning. It washed away the darkness of the night. Harry and Ginny held each other and watched as the Death Eaters fled the scene of the Master's true demise. She was so glad she'd been able to break the barrier with her love and she was also glad that in doing that she'd given Harry something to fight for.
She looked up into his face and ran her hands through his hair, familiar messy black hair that stuck up at odd angles.
"Harry?"
"Ginny?" he clasped his hands behind her back and pulled her closer. She looked older than her sixteen years in the gold dress robes with the tight fitting bodice and the flowing skirts.
"I love you," there were tears standing in her brown eyes and despite her muddy face and tangled hair, at that moment Harry thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
"I love you too, Gin," Harry leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her smiling mouth.
The crowd of people, some happy, some sobbing messes on the ground, watched the couple kiss on the top of the hill, oblivious to everyone but each other. Hermione glanced at the rising sun behind them and thought it made for a very pretty picture.
She turned back to Ron and kissed him. They both tasty salty tears, but they were mostly tears of joy. Fleur was standing a little way away, holding her dead sister in her arms, Bill's comforting hand on her burdened shoulders.
Charlie, Fred and George, all looking relatively uninjured, crowded around three bodies. Their father, looking as if he was just sleeping peacefully, Percy, his glasses cracked and blood running down his torso and finally Nymphadora Tonks, her bubble gum pink hair lying in tangles around her face.
Harry and Ginny still clung to each other, both wondering how many people they would never speak to again.
"The pain will never end," he whispered, putting his head down to her shoulder. The dead bodies were everywhere. There wouldn't be a single person here unaffected by this final battle.
"Yes it will," Ginny said fiercely, with conviction, "this is a time of celebration of life that we had and will have now this is over. Remember, love conquers all."
She turned her head and brushed his messy fringe to see the faded scar that he would carry always. Her face wet with tears, her heart thundering in her ears, Ginny placed a kiss on that scar.
The End.