When Dream Become Reality Chapter 1: Default Chapter, a harry potter fanfic

When Dreams Become Reality

Songfic to 'Traveling Soldier' by Dixie Chicks

By: Erica Evans

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or 'Traveling Soldier.'

A/N: This is my first shot at a song fic, and I don't think anyone has done one to this song, at least not what I've read. Please review. If you've read some of my other fics, this is NOT in the 'Secrets' universe. Beware, this is sad and angsty. Consider yourself warned....

Two days past eighteen
He was waitin' for the bus in his army greens
Sat down in a booth at a cafe there
Gave his order to the girl with a bow in her hair
He's a little shy so she gave him a smile
So he said would you mind sittin' down for a while
And talkin' to me I'm feelin' a little low
She said I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go

It was two days after his birthday and Harry was sitting in the kitchen of the Burrow, chin propped up on his hand, staring out the window. His hair was exceptionally messy, he hadn't needed to try this morning. He wasn't leaving till later, he could deal with it then.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, coming into the kitchen. He glanced at her and then back at the window.

"You're up early," she said and sat next to him. He nodded but didn't look her way. Ginny reached out to take his hand but he pulled his hand back.

"Ginny, don't," he warned.

"Don't what, Harry?" she asked.

"I can't, Ginny, not right now."

"Then when?" she demanded. "Its not as if we have a ton of time left together."

Harry sighed. "I know."

"Harry, come on," she said standing up.

He stared at her.

"I'm not going to let you mop around all day. You had your day with Ron and Hermione, and I claim today with you as mine."

Harry didn't look convinced.

"I'll put you under the Imperious Curse if you don't come," she warned. That managed a slight smile from Harry, but she wasn't satisfied.

"Five minutes," Ginny said. "Get dressed and get your broom."

So they went down and they sat on the pier
He said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care
I've got no one to send a letter to
Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?

An hour later, Ginny and Harry landed on a patch of grassy area near the lake. She laid a blanket out on the ground and took the basket of food from him.

"Won't your family be upset?" Harry asked.

"Mum knows where we are," Ginny informed him. "And besides, I'm sure everyone will understand."

Harry nodded and took the eclair she was handing him. They ate their picnic breakfast in silence before Ginny spoke up.

"Your coming back, Harry," Ginny told him.

"Ginny, I," he began.

"Harry don't."

"Ginny, I don't want to leave you like this. I can't leave you like this."

"Like what, Harry? Upset? Heartbroken? If that's what you're trying to avoid, then you're doing a pretty bad job of trying to prevent it."

Harry sighed. "Ginny, you know that if I could stay I would."

"I know Harry," Ginny replied and leaned on his shoulder.

"I don't want to leave you."

"You're coming back, Harry."

"Ginny, you don't know that."

"Promise me Harry."

Harry paused. "Ginny, I can't." He watched as a tear roll down her cheek.

I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
Too young for him they told her
Waitin' for the love of the travelin'' soldier
Our love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone
When the letter says a soldier's coming home

"Mail's here," said someone to her left.

Ginny glanced up as the owls filled the Great Hall. Her eyes searched for a familiar snowy owl but she didn't see her. It was usually like this. It was a month into term and she had only received two letters from Harry. He said he was doing okay, though he could never mention where he was or what they were doing. He said it was a security measure.

So the letters came
From an army camp
In California then Vietnam

"Ginny," a young girl said. She looked up and saw a first year handing her an envelope.

"It got delivered with my mail," the girl said to her.

"Oh, thank you, Abrina," Ginny said and took the letter. Abrina smiled and returned to her seat.

Ginny stared at the letter, half scared to open it. Unlike all the other letters she had received from Harry, this was dirty with blood on the front of it. Ginny turned it over and slowly pulled at the seal.

Dear Ginny,

I'm so sorry for not writing sooner. Things have gotten... a little hectic and I haven't had a chance. I am doing okay, and Ron says hi. He also says to tell your Mum that we're all right. Its hard not hearing from you; I'm sorry you can't write back to me. Captain Adams says its too risky. Oh, I got promoted. I, erm, well I can't tell you exactly what happened, but I got a promotion. I made Lieutenant. So celebrate for me okay? I miss you so much Ginny, you have no idea. Your face is what keeps me going and when the trench gets tough, I hear your voice in my head telling me how proud you are of me. Thank you, Ginny, for being so supportive. They're saying this thing is almost over. Hopefully I can come home soon. Oh and Ginny, I love you so much.
Always and Forever,
Harry

Ginny smiled though her tears. It made her feel better to know that Harry was thinking of her. She made a mental note to tell Professor Lupin that she had heard from Harry. Ginny desperately needed someone to tell her everything was going to be all right.

And he told his heart
It might be love
And all of the things he was so scared of
Said when it's gettin kinda tough over here
I think about that day sittin' down at the pier
And close my eyes and see your pretty smile
Now don't worry but I won't be able to write for a while

Ginny glanced at the letter again, and noticed something she didn't see before. Written at the bottom of the parchment was this:

P.S. We tried to send this with Pig at first, but the dumb little thing got scared and came back. So we sent it with Private Kinsley's letter to his sister. I'm sorry, Gin, but you have to tell her. He handed us his letter to attach with ours, and we waited till the next morning. But just as we were waking up, we were, well I can't tell you what happened, but Gareth didn't make it out of that one. You have to tell his sister, there's no one else to tell her. Both their mother and father died last week in that attack on Diagon Alley. Talk to Dumbledore, maybe he can help you tell her. But Ginny, you have to, you're Head Girl and in her house. Tell his sister that he died right before we sent the owl.

Ginny didn't wipe at the tears that rolled down her cheek. She looked at Abrina sitting at the other end of the table, talking and giggling with her friends. Ginny glanced at the head table, and saw Dumbledore watching her. Ginny blinked through her tears, wanting to run to her dormitory and cry.

I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
Too young for him they told her
Waitin' for the love of the travelin' soldier
Our love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone
When the letter says a soldier's coming home

Ginny sat with Abrina in the Gryffindor Common room. She rubbed the young girl's back soothingly. After talking to Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, Ginny had accepted the responsibility as Head Girl and broke the news to Abrina about her brother. The young girl had not taken it well; Gareth and Abrina had been very close.

Ginny sat with her through out the rest of the afternoon, comforting her and soothing her. She sat and told her stories about Harry, Ron and Hermione, and also some about her brother. Gareth had been a year above Harry's, in Gryffindor.

"Ginny?" Abrina asked, looking up at the window with her tear filled eyes. "There's an owl out side the window."

Ginny looked, and sure enough there was a white owl fluttering at the window. Ginny opened the latch and let it in.

"Hedwig?" Ginny asked. "But, I got a letter from Harry just this morning." The snowy owl shook its head to Ginny's question, and stuck out his leg. Attached was a rolled piece of parchment.

"Oh, Its from the Ministry," Ginny frowned, as she took the parchment. As she read the letter, tears began to spill over.

"Ginny?" Abrina asked. "What happened?" Ginny dropped the paper and buried her hands in her face. Abrina picked it up and looked at it.

Dear Miss Virginia Weasley,
We regret to inform you that your brother, Auror Corporal Ronald Weasley, has been killed in action. He served the Fourth Auror Company proudly under the direction of Auror Lieutenant Harry Potter. We are terribly sorry for your loss. Sincerely yours,
Auzric Derrington
Secretary to the Ministry

"Oh, Ginny," Abrina whispered, looking at the Head Girl. She put her arms around the sobbing form in front of her and tried to comfort her as she had been comforted. Ginny vaguely saw Professor McGonagall come into the room, holding a similar piece of parchment.

One Friday night at a football game
The Lord's Prayer said and the anthem sang
A man said folks would you bow your heads
For the list of local Vietnam dead
Cryin' all alone under the stands
Was the piccolo player in the marching band
And one name read and no one really cared
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair

A week later, Ginny wasn't feeling much better. As she sat at breakfast, she searched the sea of owls for that familiar one.

Then she saw her.

Hedwig soared through the air and landed directly in front of Ginny. Ginny took the letter, and nervously began to open it. She glanced around and saw more than just a few Gryffindor looking at her. People were peering at her from all three other tables, apparently everyone had recognized Harry's owl.

"I don't think I should so this here," Ginny said to no one in particular, and a few people nodded supportively. She gathered her bag and took one last sip of her juice before she left the Great Hall, catching Professor Dumbledore's eye on the way out. The Headmaster gave her a supportive smile and she went to sit on the front steps of the school.

Looking again at the letter, she realized that is wasn't Harry's handwriting. Gathering all her Gryffindor bravery, she opened the letter.

Dear Ginny,
As you can probably tell, this isn't Harry. It is actually Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. I want to tell you first how sorry I am for the loss of Ron. I know Harry was deeply upset and it drove his to do what he did. I know the pain and sorrow you are feeling for Ron because I too have lost someone close to me recently. You will be the first to know this, so do what you must with the information I am about to tell you.

Two days after Ron's death, Harry left the camp on his own. On a tip of Voldemort's whereabouts, he snuck away. Now you may or may not know this, but Harry had accomplished an Animagus transfiguration during his sixth year. He used to keep old Moony company when I couldn't make it up there. Well Harry transformed and took off towards Voldemort in his Animagus form (it was a large cat, sort of like a mountain lion). What happened next I am not sure of entirely. It is confirmed that there was a duel. And it is confirmed that Harry cast the spell that was Voldemort's defeat. Yup, you heard it first, Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort for good. However, a deranged Death Eater, after seeing his Lord fall, cast a spell at Harry and... well... Harry fell too.

I am so sorry, Ginny. We all know how much he meant to you and how much you loved him. I can tell you with complete certainty that Harry loved you as much as you loved him, if not more and he died to keep you and everyone else in the world safe.

Again, I am terribly sorry, Ginny. When I get back to Scotland, I'll be on touch. If you have any questions or just would like to vent, please feel free to owl me. Hedwig will find me.

Sincerely Yours,
Sirius Black

Tears blurred the words on the parchment, smearing the words, but Professor Lupin could make them out clearly. He found Ginny on his way out of breakfast, slumped against the door frame tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks. She didn't move or show any signs of seeing Remus standing there, calling out her name.