Title: I Know Places
Chapter: re:stacks
Author: dizzy - in - the - izzy
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever, made money off the things I post on this site.
Summary: A war fought by children makes for broken adults, and broken adults can only handle so much. What happens when the most broken of all disappears? Post-DH, Epilogue Compliant. All canon pairings.

READ: This chapter contains violence mentions, PTSD, anxiety, and more spell damage.


It's the sound of the unlocking, and the lift away
your love will be, safe with me.


Ginny could still feel the shaking of her body as she staggered up the halls towards her common room. The pain in her head was worse than she'd felt before, and she knew she was crying. As she came closer to the portrait of the Fat Lady, she heard someone rushing towards her.

"Ginny!"

It was a second year, named Emma, and the girl grabbed Ginny gently and pulled her towards the portrait. The Fat Lady didn't ask for a password, her eyes were wide with shock and her hand was covering her mouth. She'd seen the older kids beaten and bloodied, but Ginny was worse than she'd ever seen.

The common room was quiet despite being practically full. As Emma helped Ginny into the room, Neville was up and at her side, helping her into a couch by the fire. She fell down with a thud, and a Hufflepuff student she didn't recognize rushed over and started muttering spells. Ginny could feel the wounds on her arms healing, and a warm feeling spread through her legs.

"Ginny, can you hear us?" Neville asked, and Ginny nodded.

"My head's killing me," she mumbled, and the Hufflepuff rushed off quickly, coming back with what Ginny recognized as a Pepper-Up potion.

"Here, drink this, it'll help with… all of it," the boy said, and Ginny nodded. She leaned heavily against Neville, her hands shaky as she took a gulp of the potion.

"It's crowded tonight," she mumbled as the potion moved through her body.

"The Carrows were on the hunt, apparently started bursting into common rooms. People fled here, you know how it goes," Neville replied, his eyes searching the room. Ginny pushed herself up, feeling the effects of the potion. No steam poured out of her ears though, and she didn't take that as a good sign.

"What's your name?" she said to the Hufflepuff who had helped heal her. He blushed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Marcus, Marcus Maher. I'm a fifth year," he said, and Ginny nodded.

"You're really good at healing spells," she said, and he shrugged.

"Mum's a mediwitch, been teaching me since I was a baby," he replied, and Ginny could only smile.

"Well, thank you," she said, offering her hand. He shook it hesitantly.

"I should be thanking you. My brother's one of the kids you helped, kept the Carrows away from him."

Ginny swallowed thickly, and she felt Neville's hand on her arm.

"You need sleep, Ginny," he said, and Marcus seemed to startle.

"I have a potion here, Mum taught me years ago, that'll help keep the shaking away while you sleep!" he said, rummaging through his bag and pulling out a small vial. Ginny looked at it carefully, sizing it up. She finally took it, looking at Marcus.

"Thank you," she said again, and he brushed it off.

"'S the least I could do," he said before scurrying off into the throng of people in the room. Ginny saw Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws scattered about the room, all huddled together. Older students were helping the younger ones with their homework, or comforting them quietly. One Hufflepuff girl had four first years huddled around her as she read a book.

"They were really bad tonight," Neville said, "but I don't have to tell you."

"There's been news that they've been spotted."

Neville looked at Ginny, his eyes wide.

"The Carrows… Snape… they thought I might know something… stupidly," she coughed, and she wasn't surprised to find a bit of blood in her saliva.

"They've been spotted?"

"It came down through the line to Snape, apparently someone thought they saw them," she said, leaning against the couch while she stood. She knew that people were listening.

"So they wanted to see if you knew anything? Even though, even if you did, they would somehow know first?" Neville's face was angry, and Ginny reached over and touched his arm.

"They're not that bright," she said, and there were collective laughs around the room. Ginny looked at everyone, suddenly acutely aware of the attention she was getting. She could feel the younger students gazing at her in a mixture of fear and admiration, while the older students looked on with respect.

"I'm going to bed," she said, and several people moved to let her pass. She heard some people bid goodnight, a couple touched her back, and a timid first year beamed as Ginny walked past. Standing in front of the staircases, she took the one up to the boy's dormitory.

With a long sigh, she laid down on her brother's old bed, tears beginning to fill her eyes. She heard Neville come through the door and stop by the bed.

"Do you need anything?" he asked, his voice cracking now that they were alone. She felt her chest shake, and she sobbed quietly.

"I need this to stop," she gasped, clutching the blanket tightly. Neville touched her leg.

"Take the potion, get some rest. I'll wake you up in the morning," he said, and she looked at the potion vial. With one last sob, she poured the potion into her mouth and fell asleep within seconds, tears still streaming down her face.

(…)

Harry watched as Ginny began to shake, her face twisting in agony. He reached for her, gently, but she startled and her elbow came back and connected with his jaw.

"Ow!" he yelled, and it woke her entirely. She turned to him, eyes wide with fear, full of tears, and looked him up and down. When she finally focused on him, saw the way he was holding his jaw, the tears burst from her eyes.

"Oh, Harry!" she said, turning around to cup his face gently. She grabbed her wand and mumbled a couple spells, and the pain in his mouth subsided slightly. Her eyes searched his face, and he saw the panic returning, so he grabbed her hands gently.

"It's okay," he said and she groaned.

"It's not! I hurt you! I'm so sorry," she said, and Harry shook his head at her.

"I'm fine," he said, and she glared at him.

"There's blood in your mouth," she snapped, and he reached up to touch his lips. He frowned.

"Bit my tongue," he replied, and she shook her head, more tears coming to her eyes. She placed her wand back on the ledge above the bed and twisted her arms around her body. Harry watched as she shut her eyes and began to rock herself.

"Ginny, let me help you," he said, and she shook her head.

"I'll just hurt you again," she snapped, and Harry bit his lip.

"Not this time, I won't startle you," he said, but she shook her head again.

"I don't want to hurt you," she said, and he huffed. He reached over and ran his finger gently up her arm, and she froze as he wrapped his arm around her. He pulled her into his lap, holding her back firmly against his chest. She remained frozen as he pulled a blanket over their legs and one around his shoulders.

"You don't hurt me," he said, but she let out a soft sob. Harry could feel his heart breaking. He hated this.

He relaxed his body as he held her, burying his face in her neck. She continued to let out small sobs, and Harry could only wonder what she'd dreamed of. She had slept soundly, barely moving. It had been shortly after he'd gotten up for a glass of water that she'd started to stir, and he had thought she was beginning to wake. He had caught a couple of phrases ("I need this to stop" "No, please") to recognize that she was having a nightmare.

And then she'd began to shake.

"When you're ready," he whispered into her ear, "I'm here to listen."

She shook, her breath coming in a gasp. She brought her hands up and gripped his forearms, her nose dropping to rest on his arms. He placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck.

"Neville and I-" she stopped, her throat closing on her. Harry moved his head so he could nuzzle her ear. She coughed to clear her throat.

"We were the leaders," she said, and he nodded.

"I heard," he whispered, and Ginny bit her bottom lip.

"We… we tried to help as many people as possible. It didn't matter which house. We'd let them into the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady didn't question the colors of people's robes as they gave her the password. They streamed in night after night, some bearing cuts and bruises, and others running from those giving them out. We used Hermione's coin trick, and the oldest kid in each house, even Slytherin, had one. The Carrows didn't care which house you were in. If there was trouble brewing, we'd alert the others. We would gather up students and send them to bed, keep the older and more brave ones in the common room.

"It was awful- they were awful. They knew who to pick, who to try to get information out of. But it never worked, and it always made them angrier. They tried veritaserum, but your plan worked; none of us knew where you were. And then… then they became impatient."

Ginny let out a soft cry, and Harry reached up to massage her scalp. She shuddered against him.

"You don't have to-"

"No, I need to," she said, looking at him. He nodded, kissing her forehead gently.

"They caught a third year Ravenclaw one night. I was helping some students with their homework when my coin nearly burned into my skin. I gathered up all of the younger students and sent them to their dorms. Neville and I were about to head to the Ravenclaw common room when the portrait burst open, and in walked Terry carrying a girl named Natalie. She was a second year, and she was in bad shape. Neville rushed through some of the healing spells he'd learned and we gave her some water. She was shaking and crying and she starting sobbing when I asked her what happened.

"The Carrows had used t-the cruciatus on her. She said she'd gotten a bit lost on her way back from the library, they'd caught her, and tor-tortured her. After that, we had all of the young students travel in groups. No one was to wander around alone. And if someone went missing, we'd gather up and help them.

"It was weeks before… before they took me. I knew they were using the younger students to bait me, try to get me to talk to them. It hurt, so much, to know that they were doing this because they wanted to see if Neville and I would snap. But then they took me, and asked me questions, how we were all communicating, why did the younger students start to travel in packs. And when I wouldn't answer them… they tortured me. I've never felt something so painful in my life."

Harry clung to Ginny, tears spilling out of his eyes. He kissed her neck, her shoulder, and her cheek, holding her tightly. She relaxed against him before continuing.

"Neville and I started stopping the Carrows from taking the younger kids."

Harry sat up and looked at Ginny carefully. She wasn't looking at him, almost like she wouldn't, and Harry felt his stomach drop.

"You took the curses for them, didn't you?" he asked, and her bottom lip began to tremble. She nodded her head and Harry felt his world fall apart.

"Oh, Ginny," he said, and she trembled.

"We had to do something. All of us older kids did, but they loved to grab Gryffindors. So we'd stop them. They were terrible… it was terrible," she choked out before her throat closed and she started to sob again. Her body was trembling and she clung to him tightly, biting back what seemed like screams. Harry twisted around her and pulled them back down onto the bed, holding her against his chest. She gripped the back of his shirt tightly and he heard her yell into him.

"I hate them," she sobbed against him, and Harry moved one of his hands to massage her scalp.

"I'm so sorry, Ginny," he whispered against her ear, trying to calm her, but it only made her cry harder.

"You sh-shouldn't be s-s-orry," she choked out, pushing back to look at him. Her face was red and puffy, covered in tears, and absolutely pained. He reached up and touched her cheek.

"I still do," he said, and she shook her head at him. Before she could speak again, he placed a finger on her lips.

"I know what you're going to say," he said, moving his hand back to her cheek, "and I don't. I know… probably better than most, that you can't take back what's already been done. But Ginny, I… need… to help you."

Ginny looked up at him, biting her bottom lip. She could see tear marks on his glasses, and the pain in his eyes had returned. But she knew it wasn't his.

"Ginevra," he said softly, and she looked up at him quickly. He'd never called her by her full name, hardly anyone did, and the sound of it leaving his lips sent a thrill up her spine. His eyes had darkened, and he was staring at her intensely.

"I need to help you," he whispered, and she could hear something else in his voice. Slowly, she nodded and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. Her body was still trembling from the emotional release, but with Harry's arms wrapped tightly around her, Ginny felt anchored.

"We have to help each other," she whispered, and he nodded into her neck.

They stayed entwined on the bed until one of their stomachs (they couldn't disconcert which) made noise. Harry realized that it had been several hours since they'd eaten, and the sun was beginning to set again. He told Ginny to rest as he walked over to the chiller and pulled out some food. He eyed the porridge he hadn't finished and warmed it up easily. By the time he had a few sandwiches made, Ginny was sitting up in the bed, pulling her hair into a ponytail. Harry watched her for a moment, taking in how pale her skin looked, and the stress in her eyes.

"Here," he said, handing her the plate. She placed it gently on the bed and patted the spot next to her. He climbed in next to her, wrapping the blanket around both of their shoulders. She moved in closer to him, so her arm could rest on his crossed legs, and picked up a sandwich.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, and she frowned as she chewed.

"Okay," she said, and he nodded. He ate his porridge then, and she smiled at him.

"Hungry?" she said, a hint of humor in her eyes. He chuckled.

"It's been awhile since I last ate," he said, and she raised an eyebrow.

"You know, you had mum worried there. She thought you were going to waste away, how little you were eating," she said, and he sighed.

"I could tell," he said, and she gently reached out and touched his ribs.

"You were right when you said I'm trying to fatten you up," she joked, and his shoulders shook.

"Did-did you guys have enough to eat while you were travelling?" she asked, and Harry thought it over while he finished his spoonful of porridge.

"Sometimes," he began, placing his empty bowl down on the bed, "but I mean… it wasn't anything like your mothers cooking. Ron's kind of useless at non magical cooking, and after he left-"

"Wait!" Ginny sat up straighter, "Ronald left?"

"Yeah… kinda," Harry said, wincing, "it's kind of a long story."

"Isn't it all?" Ginny countered, and Harry stared at her for a moment. Gone were the traces of panic in her eyes, and replaced by it was that blazing look he loved. He reached up and cupped her face, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"Yes," he whispered against her lips, kissing her again.

"You can't," he kissed her again, "distract me from – my question – with kisses."

He kissed her one last time before pushing her hair back from her face and smiling at her. Her cheeks were burning, but her face was set in stone.

"Fine," he said, grabbing her half-empty plate, stacking his bowl on it, and placing it all on the floor. He reached for her and pulled her into his arms, wrapping the blanket tighter around them.

"So, you remember the diary," he said, and she nodded.

"Well, that was a Horcrux."

And so he told her the story, from the time they left the wedding, to their return to Hogwarts. At times, he whispered it into her ear, reliving something particularly horrifying, or he laughed, not because it was funny, but because the pain in his chest was too much. And she held him, eventually turning in his arms to pull his head to her shoulder and lay down, letting him cuddle against her side and mumble the story against her collarbone.

He stopped at the Room of Requirements, stopped before he got to the forest.

"Would you believe that it took Ron showing compassion for house elves for Hermione to snog him?"

Ginny laughed at that, the tears in her eyes falling as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"She told me about that, she was quite happy," she said, and Harry nodded.

"She deserves it. They both do," he said, absentmindedly playing with a strand of her hair.

"You deserve to be happy too," she reminded him.

He twisted the strand of her hair around his finger, ignoring the glare she shot him.

(…)

"AH-HA!"

The occupants of the kitchen were startled as Bill's cry of triumph rang down the stairs. Hermione and Ron rushed up to him, leaving the Grangers and Molly to sit and stare at their suddenly empty chairs.

"Did you get it?" Ron yelled as they came to the landing, Bill crouched in front of the door. He looked up at them with wide, gleeful eyes.

"Yes, I think so," he said, pointing to the illusion of runes in front of the door. Hermione bent forward and studied them, her brows coming together.

"What do you think?" Hermione asked, sounding skeptical. Bill stood up, fixing his pants as he did.

"Well, I have organized the spells and jinxes and I finally got past that large knot that was liable to blow apart the landing here, and I think I've finally gotten us inside."

Ron smiled at his brother, but Hermione looked concerned.

"Did you figure out why only Ginny could enter?" she asked, and Bill touched his chin.

"Well," he began and Ron sighed.

"You know that's the only thing Hermione wants to know," Ron said, and Bill laughed as Hermione began to read the runes again.

"Look, I have a couple theories," he said, and Hermione perked up.

"Theories are a start," she said, moving to stand next to Ron, smiling up at him. Ron rolled his eyes at Bill.

"Well, there's the one I explained to Ginny, where wards are created and recognize magical signatures. But that would only work as well as this if Harry used her wand, thereby using the strongest magical signature," Bill explained, and Hermione nodded. Ron listened carefully, his arm moving up to pull Hermione into his side.

"The last two are… well, they're entwined," Bill began, "and it all stems from the same idea. Ginny came and asked me about shared dreams, and how she thought she had a dream connected to Harry. I had, jokingly, said that if two people shared a strong enough connection, it could occur. She told me she'd learned a bit of occulmency, and that she was going to try to find the dream."

"What does all of this have to do with the door?" Hermione said impatiently, and Ron gently brought his hand up to cover her mouth.

"Patience," he said, and she huffed at him. Bill smiled.

"Well, there's the idea that Harry didn't know he'd wrapped Ginny up in this. That, somewhere in his head, he wanted her to be able to come through the wards, but it wasn't a conscious thought. The other…" Bill pursed his lips, "suppose I were to create a barrier around myself, but only wanted Fleur to come through. Even as an unconscious decision, a person's magic knows… knows what the person wants…" he trailed off, meeting Ron's eyes. Hermione was staring at the door.

"So what you're saying," Ron said, interrupting any thoughts Hermione had, "is that… Ginny could get in, because Harry wanted her to… because he-"

"He loves her," Hermione said simply, and the two men looked at her. She rolled her eyes, pointing to the door.

"Look, I know Harry and Ginny. They're my best friends. And I'm not going to tiptoe around the fact that Harry's absolutely in love with your sister, just like I won't tiptoe around the fact that your sister is absolutely in love with your best friend," she directed it at Ron, but Bill could feel the threat in her words.

"I…" Ron looked at Hermione, "I wasn't going to tiptoe around it, it's just… it wasn't you or I?"

Hermione looked at Ron, and then at Bill.

"You know Harry," Bill said quietly, "he wanted you two to go off and find your parents and have some time and be happy. Of all the things he wants, he wants the people he loves to be happy. And you two are happy… together," Bill finished, looking at the door.

"Harry… I suppose he's happiest with Ginny," he said, a smile coming to his face. Ron nodded.

"I daresay I've never seen either of them happier than when they were together," Ron added, and Hermione looked close to tears.

"So, Harry sort've did this on purpose," Ron said, and Hermione shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not, but I think it's quite lucky that she's the one to go off and find him," she said, and Bill nodded in agreement.

"I'm going to want to know how she did it, though," Hermione said.

"If Harry, of his own doing or unconsciously, allowed Ginny to enter his room, tracking him across the world was probably easy. You know the story of the red string of fate?" Bill asked Hermione, and she nodded.

"It's much like the idea of soul mates…" she trailed off, Ron nodding beside her.

"Okay, that's enough now," Ron said, and Hermione smacked his chest.

"It's romantic!" she said, turning on her heel and stomping down the stairs. Ron rolled his eyes towards Bill and followed his girlfriend down the stairs.

"I have the emotional range of a teaspoon, remember?"


A/N: let's have a round of applause to me for dragging my butt up off the living room floor to post this, because it is hot and humid and I'm just lazy.

and another round of applause because this chapter is another favorite, and really just most of them are coming up so... that stuff.

Remember to review!

-Izzy