A/N: Ahh, sigh, I know, I really should not be starting a new story but after rewatching part 2 for about the millionth time, I just couldn't resist. This first chapter is a bit...well, it's not AMAZING but I'm sorta okay with it:) I haven't really posted in this archive but just letting you know, I am MAD about harry potter, like for five years, now. Aaanyway, I hope you like this story because it's one of my only good HP ones:)

Enjoy!

When Harry woke, after what seemed like a month of sleeping, he slowly came to realise that the upper half of his body was filled with aches that he hadn't felt since his last injury from Quidditch. Harry lay there for a moment. He could hear calling, cheering, crying, laughing, yelling...all that echoed and bounced off the stone walls of the castle. Harry turned, and then winced, rolling back onto his back. He couldn't remember what he had done to his right arm but he was pretty certain that Madam Pomfrey could tell him. He kicked back the covers and lifted his dirt stained shirt, grimacing at the large, red, vaguely lightening shaped scar on his chest, almost identical to the one on his forehead. Above it was the light outline of an octagon.

The locket's scar.

Harry pulled down his shirt again, sighing as he stared up at the stone ceiling. As the sleep began to leave him, he tried to recall where he might've received all his batters and bruises. He could barely remember any of the details of the battle. Whilst running through the destruction and despair of Hogwarts, several curses and lots of rubble could've hit him...not that he would've noticed. A clear but evidently sad laugh came cutting through the air into Harry's ears. His heart stirred and he sat up straight.

Ginny.

The last time Harry could remember being within close proximity of her (and her being aware of it) was when she'd pulled him into a brief kiss on the top of the stairwell sometime during the battle. She'd whispered two, gentle words to Harry before they'd parted ways. I know. The short but meaningful sentence repeated itself through Harry's ears several times.

I know. I know. I know. I know.

She'd known. She'd understood that he a job to do...a job nobody else would be able to complete. A job that might end his life...and so many others but a job that could also save the world. And it had. At a terrible price.

Then, memories flooded Harry. Snape's memories; Ron and Hermione's make-out session halfway through the battle; the destruction of each horcrux; Fred's death; Lupin and Tonks' bodies; the final showdown on the podium; Ginny with her head on her mother's shoulder; Bellatrix's death; the confrontation in the forest; the conversation with Dumbledore...

The memories filled Harry in no particular order and he sat there, sifting through them until he could make sense of the last 48 hours. Finally, the truth dawned on him

Voldemort was dead.

'Harry?' a soft voice said, interrupting his realisation. Harry looked up to see Ginny, the exact person he wanted to see, looking over at him from the doorway. She was dressed in new clothes. Jeans that Harry recognised from the previous year and a top that could've been identified as Hermione's. Ginny's hair was pulled back in a high ponytail to reveal scars, cuts and bruises all over her neck and the side of her face. She had a bandage wrapped around her left arm...her eyes were slightly red from crying and Harry could see the toll the battle had taken on her.

'Hey,' he replied, just as quietly. 'What're you doing here?'

'Checking on you,' she said, stepping forward to sit on the end of Harry's bed. 'We all take turns to check that you're awake. You slept all day.'

'All day?' Harry yelped, jumping out of his covers. 'Why didn't anybody wake me?'

'We all agreed you needed the rest,' Ginny said. 'Ron's still asleep, too. Hermione couldn't though. She's been helping out in the hospital wing all day.'

'Has...' Harry swallowed, the sentence coming out as a croak. 'Has anybody else been found?'

Harry knew that Ginny could tell he didn't mean alive. Ginny shook her head. 'No more casualties than already identified.' Her voice cracked on the last word and she squeezed her eyes shut, curling her hand into a tight fist. Harry walked over, sitting beside her and uncurling her hands, gently.

'How are you?' he asked. She opened her eyes. 'I don't know,' she confessed. 'I really don't.'

There was a small silence between them, until Ginny spoke up again. 'Do you want something to eat?'

It was only then that Harry realised he was positively starving. His stomach rumbled and he glanced up at Ginny, grinning.

'I think that answers it,' he said, relieved to see her smile as well. She pulled him to his feet, glancing over at Ron momentarily, who was snoring into his pillow. Harry snorted with muffled laughter. The sight was so familiar...it felt like he was home again.

'You're lucky,' Ginny said, guiding Harry somewhere in the dormitory he'd never been before. 'All the reporters are gone. McGonogal shooed them away early in the afternoon. They've been wrecking havoc all morning.'

'If Rita Skeeter turns up...' Harry began ferally.

'Hermione already had a word with her,' Ginny smirked. 'Don't think we'll be seeing her for a while.'

'Gin, where are we going?' Harry demanded, his curiosity finally getting the better of him.

'Everybody's out there in the common room,' explained Ginny. 'I thought you wouldn't want to be bombarded with publicity. During this year, we built new tunnels and passageways, all of which lead to either the Great Hall or the Room of Requirement. We're going to the Great Hall.' She slipped her hand into Harry's, murmuring 'Lightning will strike' at the stone panels in the corner of the dormitory. Harry frowned but his eyes widened as the panels creaked and groaned, parting and moving until there was a hole, just big enough for one person to crawl in at a time. Ginny went first and she whistled lowly, cueing Harry to go in after her. It was completely dark, and Harry realised he'd left his wand under his pillow.

'Lumos,' Ginny whispered and a small, blue light at the tip of her wand appeared. 'Follow me,' she ordered. Harry nodded, following her every footstep as she led the way through the dark, cramped passage. He stumbled over stones and rocks, cussing angrily at one point when a stone flew up and hit him in the chest.

'This was a hurried passage,' Ginny said apologetically. 'A third year...you remember Roger? Yeah, he got into a bit of trouble with Carrows and we needed a way to get him out of there fast. Me 'n Luna built this.'

'Wow,' Harry said in admiration. 'I can't believe how well you guys kept the DA under wraps this year.'

'Keeping it alive was the one thing that gave us hope.' After speaking, Ginny stopped suddenly, Harry crashing into her.

'What the...?'

'Shh!' Ginny hissed, pressed her fingers against his lips. She stepped away from him cautiously, peering through a small hole that allowed light to shine through into the passage. She groaned. 'Oh no. My aunt and uncle are here. Patrick and Connie.'

'So?' Harry asked. Ginny sighed. 'They want me, seeing as I'm the only girl, to carry on the fashion shop in Diagon Alley.'

'And you don't want to,' Harry guessed. Knowing Ginny...there was no way she was going to follow a set path. Ginny nodded. She grimaced and grabbed Harry's hand, saying 'Help will always be given at Hogwarts' into the stone, which once again parted and allowed the two to exit the passageway. Immediately, cheering and congratulating broke out in the hall and Harry, his cheeks burning, glanced down at his shoes. He, inwardly, didn't feel as if he deserved an ounce of praise. He'd just carried out instructions. Anyone could've done that.

'Harry! Ginny!' Hermione called from what seemed to be the Gryffindor table. Harry and Ginny hurried over to her, taking a seat at the table. Harry's stomach rumbled again and immediately, eggs, potatoes and tomatoes appeared on his plate.

'The elves are limited,' Ginny explained at his perplexed look.

'Ginny, darling!' a voice cried and Harry held back his laugh as Ginny was smothered in a hug from a plump, short woman.

'Auntie Connie,' she said through grit teeth. 'How are you?'

'Oh, I'm fine, dear, I wasn't in this battle, how are you?' Connie blabbered. Her eyes paused on Ginny's bandaged arm. The bandage had slid down a bit, revealing the top of quite an ugly wound.

Harry felt his stomach turn. 'Was that where Bellatrix's curse...'

'Narrowly missed me?' Ginny finished. 'Yeah.'

Harry turned his attention strongly to his food to stop himself from reliving the moment. He'd never been so scared in his life. He shook the thought out of himself.

Kingsley stood up on the podium, giving a very heavily applauded speech, announcing that the Ministry had indeed been taken back and slowly, the world had already started to rebuild itself. Harry caught parts of the speech but he kept staring down at his reflection in the plate. The scarred, tired, proclaimed hero stared back at him. He felt sick. He needed...

He looked up.

He needed to talk to Dumbledore. Without even excusing himself, Harry left the table, to everyone's confusion, and hurried out of the Great Hall.

A/N: My friend is pissed because I am sooo cannon at most things I get addicted to but I think that Ginny and Harry are an ADORABLE couple so screw you friend who will not be named who is looking up Drarry on my computer :/

Aaaaaanyway!

If you like,

read and review!

-chimi:)