Bravery is in the Eye of the Beholder

Bravery is in the Eye of the Beholder

By

Sannikex

Chapter Eleven

A/N: I seem to have found a lot of inspiration lately for this story and that's great as it has been stuck for a while. I realized that due to me being confused and having bad notes this story's timeline might not be completely compliant with the rest of the parts of The Weasley Love Stories but there are no major errors. Anyhow I hope you will all enjoy, as usual!

April 1998

It didn't take long before she trusted him again. His information had been proved right by two scouts from the Order and plans of action were already formed. She only wished she could be there when they set out. At the questions of her source she'd only mumbled that it wasn't reliable and that the information should be checked. Twice.

She couldn't put in words how she'd felt when her mother told her that it had proven to be true. She'd just hugged herself in the empty kitchen of the Burrow. He had to have a deep sense of gratitude if he went to such lengths, put his own life in danger for her brother.

When he'd warned her of two Death Eater attacks where his side had suffered great losses she was beyond doubt of his character. But it had to be tested once again…

He'd approached her in Ottery the times before and when she felt the tug that he sent with a simple spell that you used to find each other when lost in close proximity she followed it without a second thought. In a dark alley it stopped and she looked around. At first she couldn't make him out in the darkness but when her eyes adjusted she saw the pale oval of his face. He looked distressed. Immediately her heart went out to him but she remembered his moods too well to do anything but wait for him to proceed.

"He wants me to spy on you from your house. He found out I've seen you and I managed to convince him that it was to get information. Now he wants me to go back to living in your house and feed him details about the Order." His voice was tired and his usually impeccable posture was a bit slumped.

"Oh." That was all she could manage as her brain worked at high speed. Her parents still thought he was a traitor. If she let him in she would have to hide him. If she let him in… He might be a spy. He would be able to reach her whole family. He might have done all this to be able to get close to the Order. But why now? He could have done it before if that was his purpose. Now he knew how little she got to know about the Order's affairs. She looked up and met his grey stare. It was unreadable. But looking into them reminded her of something she'd said as they sat on the wall the day he'd stunned her. I believe in second chances

"Fine." His eyes widened a bit in wonder.

"I loose count of how many times you've saved my life…Ginevra." He grasped her hand and pressed a kiss on it. She blinked in surprise. Not only because no one had ever kissed her hand before in her life but because the situation was absurd. Still the gesture didn't seem silly when he did it. It seemed as a sign of gratitude and respect and she thought that secretly she would treasure it a long time.

It was hard to go back to the way it had been. The tension seemed too strong to overcome and the days before his departure struck her as innocent and simple compared to this. She had no idea how to get back to the somewhat easygoing relationship they had had before. Sitting in the living room, alone, tired of pondering the problem she pointed her wand at the record player and filled the room with music in hope of escaping the thoughts. One of her favourite songs began playing, a rendition of what Hermione had told her was from a Muggle opera. It was in Italian so she had no idea what it actually spoke of but she liked it anyway for the longing and hope she thought she could hear in the melody. Closing her eyes she let the music sink into her.

"Weasley? Are you asleep?" It only seemed like moments before he spoke to her.

"Hmm? No, no I'm, not." She blinked and sat up straight. He cocked his head.

"Really? Cause this song has been playing over and over for an hour." She felt a little tickle at the bottom of her throat. She hadn't heard that tone in his voice for weeks.

"Maybe I just wanted to annoy you."

"In that case you succeeded." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and she thought that she could see a hint of a smile on his lips. Later she didn't know what possessed her to do it but for a moment it felt like he had never left and they were still friends, in their own way so she asked him what she could never have imagined she would an hour before.

"Would you dance with me?" The moment the words left her lips she regretted them. Merlin, this was like handing your wand to your enemy with instructing how to hex you. He looked surprised and she bent her head to hide her burning cheeks. Sleep must have confused her brain. Then his hand came into her limited view.

"Coming or what, Weasley? Are you afraid?" She grasped his hand as the record player restarted the song. Tentatively she put her hand on his shoulder and willed her body to not shiver as he put a hand at the small of her back. "Do you trust me, Weasley?" He was too close for her to be able to think, to breathe.

"Yes."

"Good 'cause I can't lead you worth a knuckle if we stand this far away from each other." He pressed he closer and she could only be grateful that she was holding onto him for support. Starved for all physical contact blended with her desperate desire to touch him until she wasn't quite sure what was left and right. Slowly he guided her around the room with an easy grace that she could only imagine came form intense practicing.

"I wish I knew what the words meant." She mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"I said I wished I knew what the words meant." He was silent for a while as the song started once again.

"You who know what love is, see if I have it in my heart. That which I experience, to you I will repeat. It's new to me, I don't understand it. I feel a longing full of desire that now is delight, that now is death." Somehow his mouth was close to her ear as he whispered the lyrics, never missing a beat, still guiding her as she leaned her head on his shoulder, enjoying being close.

"Don't stop." He did what she asked without complaint and she smiled.

"I freeze and then my soul bursts into flames and in a moment I go back to freezing. I search a blessing outside of me, I don't know who holds it, I don't know what it is…" His voice died out and the record continues playing. She could feel his fingers toying with her hair and her heart started beating heavily. He was touching her! Almost afraid to breathe to not disturb the feeling she inched her head closer to his neck until her lips were almost touching the point where his pulse beat. Without realizing it they'd stopped dancing. Slowly, as if testing if she'd stop him he ran his fingertips up her spine. This time she couldn't hold back the shiver. Arching her neck she threw her last warnings out of her mind. A breath away from his lips he tensed and his whole body went rigid. His arms fell limp to his sides and his eyes clouded. He closed them briefly and shook his head as to get rid of an unpleasant thought then he left her, standing in the middle of the room with the music still playing.

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