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A/N: There is a rather mature scene approximately in the middle of the chapter. I'm going to indicate it like...

...This

Chapter 3 The Locket

Harry Potter was caught up in turmoil. He wasn't sure what to think or even to feel for the matter. Ginny Weasley, his ex-girlfriend (who he was still in love with) had just rescued him from being suffocated by the Horcrux and hence drowning.

And it wasn't only that. He still had no clue how she had been able to track him down, early in the morning after Christmas, in the middle of the Forest of Dean. If she could, who else could?

He still wasn't sure how he should feel about her appearance. He had missed her, badly even – he had been watching her dot on the Marauder's map too many times to count – and he was very glad that she had saved his life, but he had also broken up with her in order to protect her, to keep her safe. But that was all for nothing now, he had just told her about the Horcruxes, after all.

Perhaps it would have been the wiser and safer choice for her to somehow get her home and not tell her a thing about their mission. To keep her from everything that could mean any harm. But he wouldn't have been able to do it. It was as simple as that. She was Ginny, his strong and feisty Ginny, who hated nothing more than to be babied and left out.

And, whispered an annoyingly complacent voice in his head, she hadn't been safe at Hogwarts at all. You heard about the sword, and with Snape as headmaster, who knows what else happened to her. He shuddered at the thought. The very idea of a heavily injured Ginny Weasley was making him ill. He had wanted to protect her.

Harry was ashamed to admit it but he even felt a great sense of relief, now that Ginny knew about their quest. The weight that had been placed on his shoulders felt lighter somehow, less condemning, now that he had shared his knowledge with Ginny.

Of course he had shared all that with Ron and Hermione as well, but Ginny was different somehow. Ron and Hermione were his best friends, and Ginny was, well Ginny. She was a category on her own. Harry thought that it was fair to say that he was truly and utterly besotted by his beautiful witch.

The time he had spent with Ginny in spring had been the happiest in his life. She was fire and strength, she was life, Ginny was. Moreover she was also a very powerful witch. He pitied everyone who ever crossed her - her Bat-Bogey-Hex was legendary, after all. Ginny was capable and independent and had faced evil way too young. They both knew the devil that was Voldemort in an entirely different way than anybody else. His diary had possessed Ginny and he, himself was connected to him through his scar.

Perhaps it was fate, that Ginny whose childhood had been taken by a Horcrux should destroy another. Dumbledore had at least taught Harry something about the incalculable power of certain acts. It was a particular kind of magic and Harry was sure that Ginny had to be the one to wield the sword and destroy the locket. It was symbolic somehow and oddly poetic.

Harry was jolted out of his musings by Ginny, who had freed herself out of his embrace, got up and was now offering him the sword. She raised her eyebrows at him as if to say 'are you going to do it or what?'

Harry, however, shook his head. He also stood up but opposed to accepting the sword he handed her the locket instead.

Ginny's eyes widened in surprise. "Y – you want me to do it, destroy it?" she asked, astonished.

"Yes … I think it's supposed to be you, you got the sword out of the pool." There was an indisputable amount of trust and confidence in his voice. Harry was elated to see Ginny's eyes light up. It affected her deeply that he had complete trust in her.

Ginny gave him a proud smile, her eyes gleaming, and withdrew the sword. She had never looked more beautiful to him, clad in his clothes, her glorious hair damp and ruffled and a downright determined look on her face. Why had he excluded her in the first place?

Harry held up the locket. "The second I open it, you stab it. You know how the bit of Riddle was that came out of the diary. It tried to kill you, me and the muggleborns at Hogwarts. Whatever's in there will put up a fight."

"How are you going to open it in the first place?" As she squinted at the locket and seemed to suddenly recall something. "Because I remember this locket from Grimmauld Place. When we were cleaning up the house no one could open it. Was it still there?"

Harry ignored her last question. They would talk about this later. Now, however, they - no she - would destroy a Horcrux.

"I'm going to use Parseltongue," said Harry. He hadn't even known the answer before he said it. It was as though, deep down, he had always known it. It seemed logical, somehow.

He brushed snow off a flattish rock lying in the shadow of a sycamore tree, and deposited the locket on it.

"Ready?" he asked her.

"Yes," she whispered. She was eying the Horcrux, her brow furrowed. She swallowed, then, taking a deep breath, moved towards the rock.

"On three," said Harry, looking back down at the locket. He concentrated on the serpentine 'S', inlaid with glittering green stones, visualising a snake, curled upon the cold rock. He briefly panicked, wondering whether speaking Parseltongue would alert the ministry to Ginny's location, but decided that it wasn't really magic but rather a magical ability. The locket twitched and rattled. It's afraid, Harry realized. Just as in the pond, the locket recognized the sword as threat.

"One … two … three … open."

Like a shot, she golden doors of the locket swung open with an audible click. Within were two glass windows, each revealing a living eye. Eyes as dark as Tom Riddle's had once been before they turned to scarlet slits.

"Stab it," he told Ginny, steadying the locket.

But just as Ginny raised the sword with shaking hands, a sudden voice hissed out from the Horcrux.

"I have seen both your heart and your soul, Ginevra Weasley, an they are mine."

"Ginny! Don't listen to it!" Harry said sharply. "Stab it!"

"I have seen your dreams, Ginevra, and I have seen your fears. The seventh of seven children … an accident … never wanted … too poor. Always ignored by your brothers … by the boy who doesn't love you back … always left behind … underestimated …"

"Ginny!" Harry called out, "stab it now!" He could feel the locket shaking and trembling in his grip. He dreaded to think what was coming. Just as Ginny raised the sword higher, ready to strike, Riddle's eyes gleamed scarlet.

Ginny gasped in shock and backed away as suddenly a figure blossomed out of the locket's windows. First the head, then the chest, legs, until it stood in the locket. It was a strangely distorted image of Harry himself: eyes red, swaying over Ginny and himself.

He quickly snatched away his fingers as the locket suddenly burned white-hot.

"Ginny!" he shouted once more, but his voice didn't reach her ears because the Riddle-Harry was now speaking with Voldemort's voice and Ginny's eyes were fixed on his face.

"Why are you here? I was better off without you, happier with out you … glad to be rid of you. I pitied you, Ginny, that's why I even bothered with you. I'm the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One and who are you?"

The Riddle-Harry, who was more handsome and yet more frightening than his real self, gave a cold laugh.

"You are nothing but little Ginny Weasley. You're a baby! What have you ever done that would be worthy of my attention? Who are you … compared to me?"

He swayed, sneering, before Ginny, who was staring at him, wide-eyed, looking horrified.

"Did you really think that I was in love with you? That you could ever be enough for me? I could have any witch I wanted … that's why I broke up with you … you are nothing … nothing … no one … "

Suddenly the image of a curvaceous, naked, woman that Harry had never seen before appeared next to Riddle-Harry. She was hauntingly beautiful, even more so than a veela, her hair swirling like flames, her eyes shining red. Cackling, she stretched like a snake and entwined her body around Riddle-Harry, running her hand over his chest, digging her long nails into his skin. Riddle-Harry groaned, as the woman slowly began to move her hands downwards…

On the ground in front of them, Ginny's face filled with revulsion and loathing. Harry was fairly sure that his own facial expression mirrored hers.

She raised the sword higher.

"Do it, Ginny!" Harry yelled.

Ginny's eyes met his and Harry thought he saw a flicker of scarlet vanish in her brown eyes. She gave him her hard, blazing look and Harry knew, with unswerving certainty, that this was the moment.

Ginny plunged into the glass of the locket, the sword clutched perpendicular in both hands.

There was a clang of metal and a piercing, bloodcurdling scream, as the monstrous figures came to nothing.

Ginny stood, face-to-face with him, staring at him wide-eyed. The shattered remains of the locket lay on the flat rock in front of them. Harry was certain that he hadn't seen Ginny Weasley look so vulnerable in a very long time. Her eyes were moist with unshed tears.

There was a long moment when they both simply stared at one another.

Harry didn't know what made him do it; perhaps it was the fact that she had just destroyed a Horcrux, or the fact that he hadn't seen her in five long months. But suddenly it seemed to be the most natural thing in the world to lean forward and kiss her firmly on the lips.

Her lips were as cold as the water in the pool had been but so were his, he hardly noticed. Ginny gave a surprised gasp against him, but after a moment's hesitation returned his kiss. Harry closed his eyes as she wound her arms around his neck, pulling him close. In return he ran his fingers through her moist hair. Dimly, he registered a muffled thud; Ginny must have dropped the sword to the ground.

All thoughts flew from Harry's mind when Ginny, parted her lips, moving them against his. Her hot breath tingled against his cold lips, intoxicating him. Her lips were firm and desperate, sliding against his.

They were getting more heated now as her tongue swept into his mouth, caressing his. Ginny sighed against his mouth, fogging his mind with desire. Had he ever felt cold? He needed to feel her body pressed against his. Harry dropped his hands to her narrow waist, pulling her flush against him. Closer. He didn't even have time to feel embarrassed that Ginny could surely feel exactly how aroused he was.

"Harry," Ginny moaned, her voice husky, as she ground her hips into his erection. Upon hearing the sound escape her lips, Harry lost all control. Groaning, he slid one of his hands up her body, cupping one of her breasts through the layer of sweaters. No bra! He involuntary rocked his hips against hers.

"Is this okay?" he asked her, panting. Harry was surprised that his own voice sounded raspier than usual. He could hardly form a coherent thought; he only knew that his body was pressed against Ginny's and how brilliant it felt...

"Yeah," she breathed, looking at him. Her eyes were hooded and dark with desire. Feeling emboldened, he gingerly squeezed her breast. It wasn't overly large, but he couldn't have cared less. She was perfect. He switched breasts and slid his other hand down to gently cup her bum. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing but judging from the breathy little sounds Ginny made, he was sure that he was doing something right.

Ginny, meanwhile, was trailing sloppy, open-mouthed kisses along his jar. Goosebumps erupted on his skin when her hands had made their way under his sweater, roaming over his back and shoulders. She rolled her hips into his.

A groan escaped Harry's lips; if she kept doing this any longer he was going to-

"Ginny!" Harry drew back abruptly.

"What?" She looked up, confused.

"W – we can't do this here. We need to talk about things first, and –" Harry stammered.

Ginny groaned and buried her head against his neck. She obviously was as frustrated as he was. Why did he stop her again? Stupid, just stupid. But he knew that now was not the time and especially not the place, and they had to talk about a lot of things first. Why was she here? How had she found him? What about her parents? what about Ron? Was she going to stay?

"About the locket … " he said, still trying to catch his breath. "That was all Riddle. I would never think or do this stuff. And I also want you to know that – erm - you're the only one for me because – " he swallowed, " – because I'm in love with you."

What had possessed him to say that? It was true - he couldn't deny that he was completely and utterly in love with her – but they had never actually told each other that. Hell, he had even broken up with her and now he was professing his undying love for her. Surely that was not what Ron had had in mind when he told him not to mess her around. Not that Ron was here of course…

Ginny jerked her head up and stared at him, wide-eyed. "Y – you are?" Her cheeks were still flushed with arousal and her lips were red and swollen from his kisses.

"Well yeah – I am …"

"I'm in love with you too!" Ginny exclaimed before he could say anything more. "Very much so … " she added in a whisper.

Harry was surprised to see moisture in Ginny's eyes. She loves me too, Harry thought dazedly. He could feel his heart swell and silly grin was forming on his face. His cheeks flushed to match hers as he met her intense gaze.

They were grinning like idiots at each other and Harry felt as though his spirits had suddenly been lifted tenfold. Ginny had just destroyed a Horcrux. One more down (not that he knew were another one was, but still! ). It was downright unbelievable that just one or two hours ago he had sat in the tent, thinking about Ginny and how her dot wouldn't appear on the Marauder's Map because it was Christmas holidays.

"I guess we should find that tent you mentioned." Ginny suggested, shaking him out of his thoughts. "It's probably a lot warmer inside …"

"All we have to do is find it." Harry quipped.

Harry quickly stuffed the locket in his pocket and Ginny picked up the sword from where she had dropped it. She tugged a strand of her – due to the water a darker shade of red than usual – hair behind her ear and shyly reached out her free hand to grip his. Harry smiled reassuringly at her and gave her hand a small squeeze.

Hand in hand they made their way through the dark forest, Harry guiding Ginny. While the walk towards the pool with the doe had seemed rather long, with Ginny by his side the journey back seemed to be astonishingly short. Or perhaps it was just Ginny's presence that gave him this impression.

As they entered the tent, witch was pleasantly warm – Ginny was glancing around with interest – he all at once remembered about Hermione. What would she think about Ginny's sudden appearance? Would she be angry that he had told her about their task, while Dumbledore had only given him permission to tell her and Ron? Did Ginny perhaps know were Ron was? Harry wasn't exactly sure what to say to Ginny yet. He assumed that his brain still hadn't fully processed the last hour.

Absentmindedly, Harry watched Ginny examine the bluebell flames still shimmering in a bowl on the floor, when he was suddenly startled by a screech.

"HARRY POTTER!"

Harry whirled around, nearly losing his balance, and found himself face to face with the tear-streaked face of Hermione. She looked positively livid.

"Just - were - have – you - been? I wake up and you are gone! I thought that they had caught you. What the hell were you thinking, disappearing like that? First Ron gone than you gone as well! I've been looking everywere! I –"

She was sobbing by now and unceremoniously launched herself at Harry, still crying.

"Er … Hermione, there is something-"

It was admittedly hard to speak while Hermione Granger was squeezing the air out of his lungs. She abruptly withdrew and examined him from top to bottom, her expression growing more confused with every passing moment.

"Harry? Why is your hair wet? Where in the name of Merlin have you been –"

She stopped, her gaze now finally landing on the petite form of Ginny, alongside of Harry.

"Ginny?" Hermione's tone was unbelieving and slightly shrill. "Ginny Weasley?" She was gaping at her, wide-eyed, completely baffled.

Ginny gave her a weak smile. "Hi"