Chapter 1: The Aftermath
Ginny sat on the bench in the Great Hall. was next to her with tears streaming down her face. Ginny hugged her mum and got up. looked up and spoke, her voice cracking, "Where are you going, sweetheart?" Ginny looked back toward the spot where the double doors were blasted apart. She eyed the nearly-invisible silhouette standing in the moon-lit grass. nodded wearily and got up to see near George and Ron.
Ginny silently stalked through the crowd and stopped an inch from the dark, shadow-casted body. "It's over now," she murmured in Harry's ear encouragingly. Harry made no sense of hearing her. Ginny stepped forward and pulled Harry's hand into hers. He looked at her and spoke nearly inaudibly, "They died for me... All of those people... Lupin, Tonks, Colin Creevy, Fred." Harry was quieter on the last name but Ginny took no notice. She stood in front of Harry and looked deep into his eyes, as if trying to read his soul.
"You really don't know why they all died?" Ginny questioned. Harry looked slightly taken aback from this but resumed his posture. "They died for me. They wasted their lives for me, and it was stupid..." He trailed off. Ginny waited for him to finish. She spoke softly, "They didn't waste their lives. They died for you because everyone here thinks your worth dying for. They died for all of us."
Harry's eyes glowed slightly as she said this. He pulled her into a kiss. She felt the warmth flow into her body. They were so close that Ginny could feel Harry's heart beating faster. She pulled away after what seemed like forever. Her eyes were shining, but she would never cry. It was over, and she could be with him forever.
She saw out of the corner of her eye George falling asleep near Fred's body and her parents sitting on a bench talking to Professor McGonagall. Probably discussing things concerning me, Ginny thought. She kissed Harry again and looked at him. We should go, Ginny thought. He nodded silently as if hearing this out loud.
Still holding hands, they walked into the castle. Harry pulled Ginny back and pointed toward an empty corridor with the door slightly ajar. Hermione and Ron were sitting lip-locked in an empty desk. Harry smiled wryly. Ginny busted out laughing. "It's about time! You should have heard Hermione going on and on about him... Get's annoying a bit."
Harry sniggered at put his finger to his lips while pulling out his wand. He murmured, "This is for Fred." He whispered a few words and small, shimmering yellow sparks emitted from the tip of his wand. The sparks hit Ron and he slid out of the chair to the point where his head was in Hermione's lap. Ginny turned pink from silent laughter and they turned away.
They walked into the Great Hall. It seemed louder since Ginny went outside. They sat down at a table at the Gryffindor table and looked around. More people were here, mostly younger classmen who returned from their refuge at Hogsmeade.
Ginny wanted to ask so many questions but picked out a few important ones. "Harry, now that you're of age and everything, where are you going to live?" He looked at her, deep in thought. He spoke a moment later and said, "How about 12 Grimmauld Place? I mean, since it's safe and everything..." Ginny looked slightly sad but spoke anyway, "Promise you'll visit the Burrow? Or should we just hunt you down and visit you at your house?" Harry grinned and spoke quietly, "Anything you want, my dear, is fine with me." He kissed the top of her head and held her tightly.
* * *
Instead of sleeping in the dorms, as Professor McGonagall insisted, Harry sat by the fire with Ginny. They spent the entire night next to each other, talking without words. Most of the time, they just gazed into the fire and comforted each other. A little past midnight, they fell asleep.
Ginny awoke, hoping that everything that happened yesterday was a dream. It was so unreal. She dreamt that Fred died, Lupin and Tonks, too. And that she spent the entire night sitting with Harry before falling asleep. She risked it, and cracked an eye open. She saw the fireplace, recently restarted by house-elves. She also felt arms around her, stirring. At least one part of my dream was true, she couldn't help thinking.
She removed the arms that were around her carefully, and got up. She looked at the grandfather clock in the corner and it said that it was 6 o' clock in the morning. She straightened her sleep-induced mane and walked out of the portrait hole to the Great Hall.
She was not surprised to see few people there this early, including teachers. She was sure that some would probably skip lunch, too. She spotted Luna near the other end of the Hall at Gryffindor Table. Ginny glided over to her, practically begging to hear another human's voice. Luna looked up and strained a smile, although you could see grief etched into her skin.
"Hello, Ginny," she tried to say dreamily, although here and there her voice would crack. Ginny nodded and tried to smile. It was hard, as though she had forgotten how to smile. Ginny also realized, at this moment, that she was not the only one who thought it was all a dream, and that it had all happened.
"Oh, Ginny," Luna cried, not being able to hold back much longer. "What are we going to do?" Ginny was attacked by Luna as she gave her a hug, making her choke. She patted Luna's back and she let go. Luna's face was streamed with tears and she took a biscuit from a tray and picked at it absent-mindedly, deep in thought.
"What's wrong, Luna?" Ginny asked, trying to be nice. Luna looked at the ceiling, which was bright blue with no clouds, and started to cry again. "I loved he probably loved me. But he died and now I'll never know." She wiped her face and looked away and sniffed. Ginny looked over to her and hugged her.
"Who was he? Oh, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she added quickly after seeing Luna's expression. She just shook her head and said, "His name was Wayne Hopkins. He was a 7th year Hufflepuff. He was very nice to me when he wasn't when his friends." Ginny nodded and heard footsteps and looked up.
A few more students walked into the Great Hall as a group, probably making sure it was safe. Ginny couldn't see Harry, Ron, or Hermione anywhere. Luna shivered next to her and Ginny got up. "Luna, come with me to the Gryffindor common room." Luna nodded and got up, wrapping herself in her robes and swiftly trailing behind Ginny.
They reached the Fat Lady and she looked drunk again. Of course, you know she's been drinking when Violet is with her. The Fat Lady saw Ginny and Luna arrive and she spoke giddily, "Password?" Ginny looked at Luna wearily, and she shrugged. Luna said, "Freedom," and the portrait swung open. Ginny gave her a questioning look as they climbed in. Luna smiled and said, "I went for a morning walk and saw a kid talking to the portrait. I knew it might be important." Ginny smiled as she watched Luna awe in shock. "Like it?" Ginny asked her. Luna nodded and walked over to a couch near the fire. "It is a lot warmer in her than in Ravenclaw tower," Luna said. Her voice was back to normal.
Ginny sat down on the other chair next to the couch where Harry was still sleeping. She thwacked his nose and he rolled over and moaned, "Fev mur minuhs...." Ginny giggled and left him alone. Luna had scooted her chair closer to the fire. Ginny heard footsteps and turned to see Hermione walking down the stairs. Hermione smiled and waved at Ginny. She looked over and saw Luna and said, "Hey, Luna!" Luna turned and smiled at Hermione. Hermione got a chair and sat next to Ginny, who was now absent-mindedly stroking Harry's hair.
There were about 12 other kids in the common room. Few were talking, some were asleep, and one or two were staring into space. Ginny knew, as many other people did, that classes weren't going to continue the rest of the year. Hermione whispered something in Luna's ear and ran upstairs toward the dormitories. Ginny looked at Luna with raised eyebrows, but Luna just smiled.
Hermione came down a few minutes later with an empty-looking bottle and three cups. She sat down and started to tip the bottle, as if there were something in it. All it looked like to Ginny was an empty water bottle. But Hermione gave Luna and Ginny a glass anyway, and Luna chugged hers in one gulp, and went into a coughing fit. Ginny smiled evilly before drinking her own. Firewhiskey, Ginny thought. Hermione drank hers, too, and began to pour more invisible liquid into their glasses.
They sat there drinking, and six more glasses later, were drunk beyond belief. They put a silencing charm around them and started to laugh uncontrollably. Harry sat up, glasses askew, looking at them as if they were insane. Ginny grinned at him and yanked him off the couch and getting up. She dragged him to the portrait hole and walked with him trailing behind.
They walked and walked until Ginny found what she was looking for - The Room of Requirement. Harry stood by the corner, now fully awake, and waited until the door appeared. Ginny smiled hungrily and pulled him inside.
Ginny pushed him against the wall and grinned evilly. She looked like she was about to attack him. Harry was half-amused, half-worried. Ginny growled happily, "You are not leaving this room until I have seen under every stitch of clothing you are wearing." That was the last conscious sound they made to each other.
* * *
Later that evening, Ron, Hermione, and Luna, who was still in the common room because nobody else really wanted her around, noticed Harry was in an abnormally good mood. They each tried to get it out of him about what happened, but after a while he just gave them a piercing stare and they quit. Ginny would smile every time someone would try to make him talk, but by then they were already giving her dirty looks.
Harry acted happier for quite some time. A month, to be exact. Ginny thought she couldn't bear to ever see him depressed and sad again. She presumed that it was the first time in a long time that he'd ever laughed or smiled. Hermione's and Ron's attitude changed, too, and everyone seemed a lot less stiff. She laughed inwardly. Hmm, I guess I made the world a better place, she thought one day.
It was a day away from when they were scheduled to go home for the summer. Hermione, Ron, Harry, and some of the adults who fought stayed at Hogwarts to help clean the wreckage, even though Professor McGonagall told them they could go home. Everyone who fought was granted the chance to be an Auror. Ron and most other of-age students said no, but Harry and two others agreed. Harry was set to start training at the end of June. The rest of the Aurors said he was the youngest to join in, probably, forever, since he was younger than the other two who agreed.
Harry kept promising that he would have enough time for visits from Ginny and the others, but after looking at his schedule, everyone doubted it. He was training defense from six to eight all day for Mondays and Wednesdays, then potions, advanced transfigurations, and advanced charms and spell training the rest of the week.
* * *
The day before Harry was set to train his brains out, he took Ginny out to dinner. Ginny noticed that Harry was very jittery. When Ginny came out of her bedroom, she called Harry's name and he jumped. He looked over and his jaw dropped. Ginny was wearing a very pretty midnight blue dress that tightened on the top and flowed down like water past her waist. Harry quickly realized he was staring and stood up. He walked over to her and held out his hand.
"M'lady," he said as she took him hand and he kissed it. She grinned as he walked her out of the Burrow, and they Apparated to a nice magic restaurant in London. They walked inside and were led to a table. Harry excused himself and walked to what Ginny thought was the bathroom.
Harry came back several minutes later and they ordered their food. Harry was even jumpier than before, and when Ron and Hermione showed up without warning, Harry's heart skipped. What am I supposed to do now, Harry thought. He silently thanked the lord when they were seated on the other side of the restaurant.
Their food and drinks came and they ate. Then they ordered dessert, and Harry started the plan. A small black box appeared next to Ginny's food. She had a quizzical look as she opened it then her eyes widened. Harry asked her, trying to play it cool, "What? Let me see." Ginny shook her head and passed the box over to Harry. It was velvet and had a glimmering ring that changed colors. He smiled happily and got down on the ground. Ginny's eyes widened even more, if that was possible. Everyone in the restaurant stared, even Hermione and Ron. Harry propped himself on one knee and spoke softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear, "Ginerva Weasley, the love of my life, will you marry me?"