Part Two
--Ginny Weasley—
Ginny didn't think she would be able to sleep well for a long time. Every time she closed her eyes there were too many terrible images there, waiting, for her ever be able to sleep.
Her head was resting on her mother's comforting shoulder as the family sat gathered in the Great Hall, though it hardly resembled the Great Hall Ginny was accustomed to. Rather than chatty students and long tables laden with food, and professors lining the front of the room, she and her family were surrounded by the wreckage of battle. With them, countless other families mourning and celebrating. The large room was filled to the brim with cries, sobs, and laughter, all mixed together and sounding strange in Ginny's ears.
As she sat there, sheltered in her mother's warm embrace, Ginny felt herself nodding off, her eyelids drooping closed and her breathing slowing. She longed to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep but she had little hope of that. As she felt her physical surroundings fading away a sharp image of Fred, motionless and pale and cold, on the floor of the Great Hall filled in behind her eyelids.
Why is he lying there, she wondered. He isn't dead; he's only sleeping.
Sleeping. She was.
Ginny jerked awake again and couldn't keep the sudden movement from her mother.
"Ginny?"
Her mother's voice was concerned, sincere, but also muffled from all her crying.
"It's nothing, Mum. I was just drifting off."
Ginny kept her head resting on her mother's shoulders but Molly turned to more clearly observe her daughter.
"Ginny, you must be exhausted," she said in a tone brooking no room for argument. "Do you want to go and –"
"No, Mum," Ginny said reassuringly. "This is a time for family. I'm fine, really."
"Yes," Molly said almost inaudibly. "A time for family."
But as Ginny gazed around at the assembled Weasleys, she noted that their family was currently incomplete. Arthur sat on her mother's far side and Bill and Charlie were seated across from them. Ron and Hermione had returned a few moments ago and were seated on Ginny's other side, Ron clinging to Hermione as if his life depended on it. George and Percy were kneeling on the floor by Fred. But Ginny still felt as though something was missing.
She sat up straight, removing herself gently from her mother's arms and turned to Ron.
"Where's Harry?" she asked quietly and glanced over Ron's shoulder as if expecting to see him there.
"Resting," was Ron's short, muffled reply. His face was half buried in Hermione's bush of hair and his eyes were closed.
"Oh," she said and nodded, turning away. Ginny suddenly wanted very much for Harry to be there with them, with her. She felt momentarily indignant at his behavior. He was as much family as anyone else seated around her. Why wasn't he there to be with Fred?
But as Ginny turned her gaze towards the rest of the Great Hall she caught sight of two more bodies that caused her chest to ache. Remus and Tonks lay a few yards away, looking as painfully still as Fred, but unlike Fred they were not surrounded by family. Rather, a lone woman had collapsed by Tonks's side and was crying fiercely, a baby in her arms.
Ginny had lost her brother. Little Teddy Lupin had lost his parents. And poor Andromeda Tonks had lost everything. But Harry… Harry had lost more than any one person should ever lose in their entire life. For such a victorious morning, Ginny was feeling quite a bit of loss and she no longer begrudged Harry's absence from the scene around her.
She stared at the people around her, her gaze most often returning to Remus and Tonks, and most often avoiding Fred. Pained by the sight of Andromeda's grief, but unable to look away, Ginny felt as though this pressing grief might swallow her whole. She stood up suddenly, unwilling to succumb to the weight pushing on her shoulders.
Her mother looked up indignantly.
"Ginny, what—"
"I'll be back, Mum," she said quietly, not meeting her mother's eyes. She needed to go, to be away, to not be here, now.
"Ginevra, no—"
"This is a time for family," her dad put in with a significant look and Ginny felt as though her words were being thrown back in her face.
"Mum, Dad, really, I won't be long," Ginny insisted and moved away before further protests could be raised. She wanted to walk over to Andromeda but had nothing to say and so she walked briskly from the hall feeling her family watch her as she left.
In comparison to the Great Hall, the corridors of Hogwarts were terribly quiet. It was unnatural for a school and Ginny looked forward to a time when the halls would be full of carefree students again. For the first time in a long time, Ginny felt sure this would happen. It hadn't looked so good a few months ago, the last time she'd seen Hogwarts.
After a few moments of wandering through the sunlit halls, Ginny found herself walking towards Professor McGonagall who was coming the other way.
"Hello, Professor," she said as brightly as she could. She was honestly very happy to see her head of house, but couldn't muster up very much enthusiasm. McGonagall didn't seem to mind.
"Hello, Ms. Weasley," she replied with a nod. The two stopped when they reached each other and stood in silence for a moment. Ginny looked up at her professor and thought she saw the ghost of a smile on her lips. Ginny smiled in return. With a pat on her shoulder, McGonagall turned from Ginny and continued on her way and Ginny had the distinct impression that Minerva McGonagall was proud of her. Ginny felt warmer inside.
Ginny ambled through a few more corridors before she found herself face to face with the Fat Lady, still at her post guarding Gryffindor Tower though the portraits around her were mostly vacant.
"Password?"
"I—" Ginny hadn't been expecting this. "I have no idea," she admitted. "I'm looking for Harry Potter. Can you tell me if he's in there?"
The Fat Lady considered her, her hands smoothing out her silky pink dress and Ginny waited with baited breath.
"He is," the portrait conceded.
"May I see him?"
The Fat Lady considered, observing her, and then said, "Well, Minerva did leave instructions. Admit any Weasley, Granger or Longbottom into the tower, but without a password—"
Ginny's heart leapt. "Well, then you have to let me in! I'm a Weasley!"
"I suppose," the Fat Lady nodded. A moment later, the portrait swung open and Ginny clambered inside before the Fat Lady had a chance to changer her mind.
Ginny gasped at her first sight of the common room. It was absolutely devastated. But she didn't waste long mourning her common room. Instead, she hurried to the stairs leading to the boy's dormitories and, disregarding their damaged appearance, sprinted upwards until she reached the seventh year's landing.
The door was only slightly ajar and through the tiny opening Ginny saw that it was dark inside. Ron had said that Harry was resting. She supposed he was asleep. Opening the door and careful to be quiet, Ginny eased her head through the gap when it was large enough. When her eyes adjusted to the dim light she saw Harry's still form on the closest four-poster bed.
She opened the door the rest of the way and walked over to him. He looked so peaceful.
Ginny instinctively reached out a hand to brush the hair from his face but paused, her hand almost touching him. She didn't want him to disappear and an irrational fear overtook her that if she touched him he wouldn't be real or he wouldn't be breathing. She watched as his chest rose and fell with steady breaths and his eyelids fluttered. He was real. And he was right here where she could make sure he didn't leave again. Ginny smiled tiredly. Her exhaustion was catching up with her as she watched Harry sleep.
I'll only stay for a moment, she told herself.
She sat lightly next to him and curled up, resting her head on the pillow next to his. It was just now hitting Ginny how much she had missed him over the last year. And now here he was, savior of the wizarding world, napping in his dorm bed looking for all the world like the carefree seventeen-year-old he should have been. She smiled a wide, tired smile.
Ginny's eyes were falling closed and she sighed contentedly. I'll only stay a moment.
But a moment later, Ginny's quiet breathing mingled with Harry and she was fast asleep by his side.
A few more changes in this repost, just to clean things up a little and make it flow a little better. Part three is officially in the works. Please Review! (Molly Weasley up next!)
