A/N: This is to apologize for the last chapter's author note. That was depressing and no one really wants to hear about my personal life. On the lighter side, in this chapter, Draco and Harry will come face to face. The polls are still open for Neville's girlfriend. Send your thoughts in a review.
Let Me Wake Up
Ginny knew better than to accept Harry's words at face value. The fact that his face twisted into a horrified grimace immediately upon speaking told her that he still felt that being together was a liability.
"You're a git, Harry," she snapped, standing and stomping into the house.
Bill let out a long whistle. "Five seconds…I think that's a record time for inciting Ginny's wrath."
Harry pushed himself up and walked toward the eldest of the Weasley children.
"I deserve it," Harry mumbled.
"Yes, you do," the scarred man said simply.
Harry stared at him in shock. After a moment, Bill shook his head.
"What? Did you want me to say that she's just like that, or that she's worried about you, or that Ginny just needs time to adjust to having you in the house?" the scarred man demanded of the would-be-hero. "Well, she is, and she does, but this is your fault too."
Harry shook his head. "Bill, you know what it's like to be in love with someone, and to be willing to let them go if that's what is best for them."
Bill smirked, thinking back to his earlier conversation with his sister. He sat on the bench and indicated for Harry to follow suit. Charlie joined them in a second.
"Harry," Bill started, wondering how to explain a concept that he'd just realized this morning. "Women love differently than men. We need to protect, they need to nurture. We provide, they permit."
Charlie laughed. "Anything a man does is what he's allowed to do by the women in his life. Mum has allowed us to set up the garden for the wedding. Yet she sent Ginny out to make sure it was done right."
Harry shook his head to clear it. "By your reasoning, a man only gets to love a woman when she allows him to love her."
The brothers smiled, and Bill clapped a hand on the younger man's shoulder.
"Now you've got it," he crowed. "With Ginny, it's difficult, because she's got this notion (probably inherited from Mum) that she knows everything about people. She's nearly always spot on, which only reinforces that belief. Ginny has allowed you to love her Harry, so get to loving before she changes her mind."
Harry stared back toward the house. "And what if she gets hurt because of that love?"
Charlie took the lead on that question, seeing the self-doubt on his older brother's face. "Both of you need to understand, in this life there are no guarantees that things will turn out. So long as Voldemort is out there, someone is bound to be hurt. Would you deny that person love in their last days of life?"
It wasn't hopeful, or cheerful, but it was honest. None of them spoke for a moment until Ginny stalked out the back door, glaring at them.
"Where are you going, little sister?" Charlie called to her.
"Bugger off!" she shouted in response.
Harry started to go after her, but Bill held him back.
"Unless you want to be attacked by your own bogeys, Harry," he warned, "you'd best let her cool down first."
"But what if something happens to her while she's out walking?"
Charlie stood and gave his attention back to the benches. "She's heading for the Lovegood's house, over the way a bit. She'll floo Mum when she gets there, and Mum'll send us to look if she doesn't hear from her soon."
The raven haired young man didn't speak, only watched until she was out of sight. Then, with a mind to rid himself of some of the excess energy he'd built up, he set to helping the oldest Weasley boys move benches.
Ginny stopped stomping long before she arrived at Luna's house. Luna acted ridiculous sometimes at school, but Ginny knew her to be an intuitive, reliable friend. She stopped on the step and knocked politely. Within a moment, the blonde girl opened the door.
"Ginny! Why didn't you just floo over?"
The redhead grinned wryly. "I needed the exercise."
Luna nodded and opened the door wider so she could enter. "Ah, Harry arrived today."
Ginny snorted inelegantly, and headed for the fireplace. After informing Molly that she was there and safe, she turned back to Luna.
"He's messing with my head, and I'm going to kill him before Voldemort has the chance!"
Luna heard the gasp that came from the room Draco had hidden himself in when the knock came. She led Ginny into the kitchen and sat her at the table.
"There is something you should know, my friend, before I let you go any further. But first, I have a question."
Ginny nodded. "Of course, Luna. What is it?"
Luna took a deep breath. "If someone had left the Death Eaters, having never wanted to be a part of them in the first place, would you give that person a second chance?"
The Gryffindor girl knew her friend wasn't in the habit of putting forth hypothetical questions, and so she thought seriously before answering.
"I would, if the person could prove themselves to be trustworthy, and if someone I trusted already was willing to vouch for them. But such a person would have to understand that my friendship and trust would hinge on their behavior."
Luna nodded. "I knew you were kind like that, Gin. If this person was someone we had gone to school with, whose father had abused them until they felt it was their only option, would you forgive them?"
"I don't understand how someone could be so cruel as to take a person's options away. People should be able to think for themselves, not wait for a parent or other person live their life for them."
The Ravenclaw put a hand on Ginny's arm. "We're not talking about you at the moment, dear."
Ginny buried her face in her hands for a moment, and Luna sat silently beside her. After a moment, she looked up.
"I'd like to think I would be a big enough person to help someone become who they wanted to be."
"Good," said a male voice behind them. "Because I'm that person."
Ginny turned to see Draco Malfoy standing in the Lovegood's kitchen.
"Bloody hell," she groaned. "I might have known."
Harry walked purposefully in the direction Molly had pointed him. He was certain that Ginny was unsafe traveling alone, especially since it would be dark before she arrived home. So, in spite of her borthers reminding him that this was something she did frequently, he went after her.
He arrived at a house that fit Molly's description, and went to the door. He knocked impatiently.
"I've never had this many visitors in a day," he heard Luna say before opening the door. Her smile fell when she saw him. "Oh,dear. Ginny! Harry's at the door."
Harry wondered at the dismay in her voice, but forgot it when the door opened wide enough to show Ginny also.
"I didn't want you to walk home alone," he stammered.
"Well, bully for you," she told him crossly. "You can just sit and wait until I'm ready to leave then."
With that, the fiery girl slammed the door. Harry stared at it for a moment, then began to laugh to himself. That was one of the best things about Ginny, that streak of independence. He sat on the step, content to wait for her.
Inside he began to hear voices.
"What are you doing?" Luna cried. "He's obviously trying to apologize!"
"He's a horse's arse, and he's making decisions for me again. I could have flooed home, or I could have walked myself like I've done a thousand times."
"Ginevra, I think he's trying to protect you," said a familiar sounding male voice.
Predictably, Ginny's temper flared again. "I bloody well don't need his protection! That's what started the whole damnable mess! He dumped me to protect me!"
The as yet unidentified male laughed. "That's a stupid thing to do, the Dark Lord already knows how he feels about you."
Harry's breath caught. 'Dark Lord' was how the Death Eaters referred to Voldemort. And if he already knew about Ginny, then she was in trouble with or without him.
"I assumed he did, it was no secret at school, and if one child of a Death Eater was there, then probably a hundred more were, and reported everything to him."
Harry swore softly but colorfully. He never should have drawn Ginny in.
"Besides, there's also Bill, and the failed turning. Charlie, and his teams reasoning with the Dragons so that they won't join Voldemort's ranks now, Fred and George's shop that sells highly useful 'joke' items to those who would resist, Ron being Harry's closest friend…and you on your own, consorting with someone who has and will continue to betray them. Not to mention your parents in the Order and even Percy working with the Ministry…"
"Yeah, I get it," Ginny interrupted. "I was born with a giant bullseye on my head."
Harry put a hand to his face. He'd never considered the danger Ginny was in even without his help. And who was in there, this person who knew so much about the Death Eaters?
"Thanks for trying to help," Harry heard the smile in Ginny's voice even through the door. "You didn't deserve that life you've led, Draco."
Upon hearing the name, Harry saw red. He might not be able to protect her always, but he was damn sure not going to let Malfoy get to her! He barreled through the door, raging like a mad bull.
"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed. "What in the name of Merlin are you doing?"
He didn't answered, just stalked toward the blonde boy with pury fury coming off him in waves. He believed at that moment he could have kill the young Malfoy with his bare hands, but to his great surprise, Luna stepped between them.
"Move," Harry growled.
"No," she replied quite calmly.
"Luna, don't," Draco murmured. "I won't see you hurt because of something I deserve."
Ginny looked between them and came to an instant decision. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at Harry. "Petrificus totalis."
Harry felt himself stiffen as his arms and legs snapped in close to his body. He fell forward, and Ginny rushed to turn him over. Unable to even shout at her for stopping him, he settled for a glare.
"Oh stop it," she snapped, completely unafraid of him. "You'll stay like this until you can behave like a civilized person. I know you can hear me, so I'm going to tell you about the life of a person who's had it every bit as bad as you, and you're going to listen."
"Ginny," Draco started. "You don't have to do this. I'm sure I could beat him in a duel, if he were man enough to fight fairly."
Harry's outrage increased. There was no end to Malfoy's arrogance!
Ginny just shook her head. "That attitude will not win you any friends, Draco."
The blonde man snorted. "I've live long enough without friends. I fail to see how they could help me now."
Luna smiled absently and kicked him in the shin. Ignoring his outburst of pain, she looked directly into his eyes. "If you'd remembered that I am your friend, you wouldn't have been kicked just now."
"But YOU'RE the one who kicked me!" he shouted.
Luna nodded complacently. "Aren't you glad I'm your friend, and didn't do anything worse?"
Ginny laughed at them, then sat next to Harry's petrified body. She began telling him the story of Draco, and slowly, Harry began to see that but for a few good friends, he might have been the same as the son of Malfoy.
