Harry Potter and the Fifth Soul
AN: This one is dedicated to all the Harry/Ginny shippers out there. Have fun (and please, please review)!
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter 2 - Couples
The Ministry rooms looked rather comfortable to Harry, one could even forget that they were obviously a few floors below the ground. Ginny led him through a small entrance hall and into another room that somehow resembled the Gryffindor common room. Ron and Hermione were sitting on a fluffy carpet close to the fireplace and seemed rather surprised at his entrance.
"Harry! What're you doing here, mate?" Ron asked curiously.
"Got a early leave from the Dursleys." He already was able to joke about that. What wonder, he thought to himself. Just some days ago they all had fought against Vodemort's Death Eaters, seen injury and death. Compared with that, his read faced uncle seemed quite funny now.
"What're you smiling?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, nothing. Just happy to be here."
"What happend?"
He explained them in detail how he had awoken from the dream about Voldemort, leaving out the part about the threat of Ginny's death, and described how he had fled the house and was picked up by Professor McGonagall. Sometimes in between Ron murmured words like "slimy ugly git" or "that greasy bastard". Harry wasn't sure who exactly was meant, his Uncle or Voldemort, but then both would have earned those titles. When he explained why the wards at Privet Drive weren't working anymore, Hermione looked at him simpathetically. "So you can't stay there anymore?"
"No. And in fact I'm rather glad I don't have to be there anymore, so don't pity me. I'm not sure whether I had stayed with those gits much longer anyhow!" Somehow talking about the Dursleys got him angry again.
"Calm down, Harry, I was just teasing."
"Oh." He unvoluntarily ran his hand through his hair. "I might have been hanging around Ron for too long."
"What does that mean?" The readhead asked with a scowl.
Ginny grinned from ear to ear. "He is slowly turning into a real male Weasley, you see. Like needing a big transparent saying 'Attention, Joke' held before his head once every minute."
"Oh shutup!" Ron scowled, quickly grabbing a cushion from one of the chairs next to him. Before Ginny could duck it was flying through the room and hit her face with a soft thump. A furious cushion fight ensued, and after a couple of minutes all four of them were lying on the floor with messed hair, panting for breath.
"That was fun. I think I needed something like that." Harry finally managed to say.
"Yeah mate. We should suggest it to Voldemort, it's a lot better than all this cursing."
Harry chuckled, and soon all of them, even Hermione, broke down in a fit of laughter. For some minutes they didn't notice the figure of Professor McGonagall standing in the door frame, trying her best to not look as amused as she was.
"I see that having to be here isn't too hard to you, Harry. I just wanted to inform you that Professor Lupin has gone to fetch your belongings from your relatives and will be here shortly. And I wanted to suggest that you don't stay up for too long. I have to make an important visit tomorrow in the morning, and I would very much like you to accompany me."
"Of course, Professor. Who are we going to visit?"
"That is a rather long story, but there will be enough time to explain everything to you during the trip." The determined look on McGonagall's face made clear that did not want to explore this topic further.
"All right. So good night, Professor."
"Good night, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Ron."
They each gave their goodbyes and she left, taking a last, meaningful look at Harry.
"What was that look about?" Ron inquired.
Harry just shrugged. "Don't know. I hope she doesn't get as secretive as ..." Dumbledore, he wanted to say, but he felt tears welling up in his eyes and turned his head away. Eventually, the events of the day got to him. Ginny laid one hand on his shoulder and with the other turned his face to look into hers. He saw the sympathetic look in her eyes and wanted turn away again, but she held him there.
"It's okay, Harry. I know it hurts. But we're here with you. I am here with you." With that she pulled him into a thight embrace.
Ron was about to open his mouth but Hermione ellbowed him in the chest. "I think I'm heading off to bed. You should also, Ron. You have to get up early, too." Hermione grabbed the baffled Ron by his robe and nearly yanked him up. Harry expected him to object to that, but to his astonishment the readhaired boy just mumbled "ehm, yea, see you up in the dorm, Harry. G'night Ginny."
As they had left through a big green door on the opposite wall, Harry was unsure if he should laugh or be worried about Ron's unexpected behaviour. "Did I miss something important, Gin?"
She smiled at him, her dark brown eyes reflecting the light from the fireplace, and as she brushed a stray curl of hair out of her face he couldn't help but think how beautiful she had become over the last year. Or maybe she had always been, but he had noticed it only that late. He almost didn't hear her talking. "Ron finally asked her out officially, after we arrived at Kings Cross. I didn't think he would ever have the guts, but it seems like miracles can happen."
"Speaking of miracles..." Harry couldn't help but smile mischeavously.
"Yes?"
"Do I need to ask you out officially to be together with you again?" His finger pushed another stray curl away from her cheek.
Ginny seemed to glow of happyness and soon they were kissing once more. Harry heard her mutter something in between that sounded a bit like "stupid, stubborn git", but he didn't really mind. He felt his heart beating, and a warm, swirling, fleeting feeling in his stomach told him that everything was allright.
Finally they let go off each other and lay side by side on the thick, fluffy carpet, Harry's hand cupping Ginny's. "What made you change your mind?" Ginny asked.
Harry thought for some time. "I think I should tell you the whole story. You know, when we broke up, the reason for me was to protect you. I wouldn't be able to stand it if something happened to you. But this evening, when I fell asleep and Voldemort was in my head," he felt Ginny's hand take his in a firm, assuring grip, "at first he only tried to tease and humiliate me, talking about my parents, Dumbledore, Cedric and all the others that have died because they were close to me in one way or the other. But then..."
He had to take in some gulps of deep breath before he could continue, "then he told me he knew what was of most importance to me. And he showed me - over and over again, I thought I couldn't stand it, but I had to watch, again and again - " the despair again overwhelmed him, and he broke into a sobbing.
"What was it Harry? It's okay, you can tell me." Ginny softly stroked his cheek.
After a minute he had calmed down enough to continue. "It was you he showed me. You being hit with the Avada Kedevara curse. I saw you dying, and I could do nothing, just watch, and it hurt me so much, I thought it would tear me apart..."
"Shhhh," she comforted him, her eyes wet now, too, "it wasn't real. I'm here, and nothing bad has happened to me. Nothing bad will happen to me."
"Thanks, Ginny." He was able to smile a little.
"For what?"
"For being here. Being you. And hearing me out, holding me. Even if it seems I'm sobbing half the time we get together. Malfoy would love to see that. Harry Potter, the sobbing sissy..."
"Shhhh, " she comforted him, "I can't help that, you know." Teasingly, she added: "And I don't mind, as long as you are my sobbing sissy."
"Thanks though." He had to smile. "Well, it seems that after the battle I did drop my Occlumency wards, and Voldemort must have seen in my mind how I feel about you. So it makes no sense hiding anything any longer."
"I think I should be glad about that." She sad, smiling back.
"How can you be glad when there is a crazy dark lord out there trying to kill you?"
Ginny sat up next to him. Looking like a mixture of Professor McGonagall giving out detentions and Molly Weasley lecturing the twins she said: "Mr. Potter. Just knowing you makes oneself a target for the whole dark side of the wizarding world. But don't you dare and let those creatures take away all the fun and love in your live. That's what they want to achieve. And you should know that you will never, ever get rid of me!"
Her face was radiating with determination now, and he was struck by how beautiful this made her. "It really amazes me how fearless you are, Ginny. Most people wouldn't want to have anything to with me under this circumstances."
"I'm not most people. I'm a Gryffindor, after all. And a Weasley, too. You know, stubborn like a mountain troll, and even harder to get rid of."
Starting in his stomach, a comfortable wave of happiness spread all through his body, and still smiling at her, Harry couldn't suppress a yawn. "I'm glad for that. I love you so much, Ginny Weasley!" He pulled her to him and kissed her softly on her lips. "I'm really glad to have you."
Ginny snuggled up to him, whispering "So am I. I love you too, Harry. With all of my heart." But he had already fallen deeply asleep, the sleepless nights at Privet Drive taking their toll. Soon Ginny was asleep as well, her head resting on Harry's chest, and both of them had peaceful smile on their lips.
They didn't even notice the door opening and Remus Lupin stepping into the common room, carrying two big trunks and an owl cage with him. When he saw the two teenagers he couldn't help but smile sadly. "Just like James and Lilly. I only wish the two could be here to see you two." He softly put down everything next to the wall and slowly left the room without waking them up.
