Chapter 21:

Death

Kalya had left that night to America. Ginny had taken her to Dumbledore and he had approved of her leaving to go see her friend. She frowned; it was going to be odd not seeing her fiancé, but this was something she really needed to do. Ginny moved through to the day like a zombie.

Diner came and the group finally noticed Kalya's absence.

"Where is Kalya," Emily asked.

"In America."

"Why is she there," Roslyn wondered aloud.

"One of her friends is ill."

"Blaine, right," Emily asked.

"Yeah, how do you know?"

"I was friends with him to. I got the news about three weeks ago."

"She hid this from me for that long," Ginny sighed hiding her face in her hands.

"She wanted to tell you, she just didn't know how. With all the death having happened just last year, she didn't want you to be upset," Emily stated.

"So she told you, instead?"

"She knew I already knew. She had found my letter from Blaine's older sister."

"When do you think she will be back," Denis asked.

"I'm not sure. She wants to stay till he either gets better or passes away."

The train tugged along through the snow, bringing the students back to their school to finish out the rest of the year. Ginny sat in the compartment with her five roommates, two rambunctious boys and Emily. Kalya still hadn't returned and it had been over two months. It was January now and they didn't even get to celebrate their second year anniversary together.

She had received a letter and a gift. The gift was a very nice silk winter cloak, just like the one Draco had in his closet that Ginny had desperately wanted. Ginny had sent Kalya a pair of earrings to match the locket she had already given her. She worried daily about her, and wondered if she would be able to pass their N.E.W.T.s.

"I was wondering if you knew if Kalya was coming back or not," Blair asked.

"I'm sure she will be coming home soon," Ginny gave a small smile.

"We hope she does, it's so different without her here," Lillian supplied.

"I'm sure that no one here misses Kalya more than Ginny," Martha nodded.

They made it to the school and sat down in the Great Hall, their food appearing and everyone digging in. Ginny listened to her friends chat away as she stared at the food on her plate. Kalya hadn't sent her a real letter the whole time she had been gone. Even the letter on their second anniversary was short.

The doors to the Great Hall opened and drew the groups' attention. Kalya was standing there, her face blank and she moved forward and sat in her usual spot. Everyone was quiet watching the girl that was usually all smiles and laughs. No one feared her anymore, but not many trusted her yet.

"Kalya, are you alright," Ginny asked softly.

"He passed away a week ago," Kalya's voice broke and tears began spilling from her eyes.

Ginny pulled her to her and held on to the broken girl as she cried for the first time in the view of more people than just her. Kalya's hands were fisted in Ginny's cloak and her face was buried in her neck. Ginny rubbed her back in a soothing fashion.

"He was so young," Kalya sobbed.

"He isn't in pain anymore," Ginny whispered.

"I should have been there when I got the word."

"You were there for him for the last two months of his life. I'm sure he is thankful you loved him enough to be there for him even when you have other things you needed to be doing."

"I missed him so much and seeing him. I just wanted him to get better, so he could meet you and live on."

Ginny whispered soft loving words in Kalya's ear and rocked her gently trying to calm down her frantic fiancé.

"I have never seen her cry," Colin said whipping his own tears from his eyes.

"She is always so strong, it must have been a very painful experience," Emily nodded.

Ginny had walked Kalya to her room and they were now lying on the bed, Kalya was still crying, her tears soaking Ginny's already drenched shirt.

"Ginny, I have to tell you something."

"Anything."

"He was dying, on his last few breaths and he asked me to do him a favor. I told him I would do anything for him. He asked me to share with him his first kiss before he passed away. I couldn't deny him that wish."

Ginny finally couldn't hold back the tears that had been building, "he really was so young. Never even had his first kiss till moments before his death."

"I hope you aren't mad at me," Kalya choked out.

"I couldn't be mad at you for something like that."

"I also have to tell you something else."

"What?"

"When he fell ill, he knew he would never have children and he decided to save some of his sperm in a bank, knowing I would need a donor to ever have a child and as weird as it sounds, he left it to me so I could have a child and he could have one, even if he wasn't going to be around for the birth."

"I think that's an amazing idea. Whenever we decide to have a child, at least we won't have to worry about finding the right donor," Ginny tried to smile.

"He was such an amazing guy, I couldn't thank him more for what he is did to help us, but I wish he was alive to see the children we will have."

"I wish he was too."

"Well, that was unexpected," Jade blinked.

"I kind of thought something like this would happen," Ginny stated.

"It's just, different," Colin whispered.

"Is it that odd that Denis and Blair are dating? No different than you and Jade dating Colin," Kalya stated as she walked past the group who were watching the couple.

"I didn't think they liked each other," Martha pointed out.

"They put on good acts," Roslyn nodded.

"Even straight people have issues admitting they like someone," Kalya laughed as she rounded the corner.

"Wait, where is she going," Lillian asked.

Her head popped around the corner, "I'm headed to go to the quidditch pitch. I want to fly for a bit."

"I can come with you, if you want," Ginny offered.

"I would love that."

The two girls walked hand in hand toward the pitch. The snow that covered the ground was not so fresh and foot prints had packed the snow.

"Valentine's day is in a week," Ginny smiled looking at the gray sky.

"I want to go to Hogsmeade; do you want to come with me?"

"I wouldn't miss going on a trip to Hogsmeade, and I definitely wouldn't miss going with my fiancé."

"Have you heard anything from your mom?"

"She is still unsure about us getting married so soon. Says we should at least wait till we have been together three years."

"If we waited till the spring or summer after our third year anniversary, do you think she would approve then?"

"I'm pretty sure she would. But, I honestly don't want to wait that long," Ginny blushed.

"I know, but if it brings your mom's blessing with it, I want to make sure everyone is happy and approves of our bonding."

"I understand. I still don't know I want to get married in fall."

"I love the colored leaves and the cool weather. But Draco and Blaise have a point, warm weather there is more we can do."

"Yeah but we are witches and wizards, there isn't anything we can't make happen," Ginny pointed out.

"That's right as well. We both want fall, it's only a little over a year away."

"I can wait that long as long as it makes you happy."

"I want it to make us both happy, because we might not be married before then, but we are together and that's good enough for me till then."

"How about October then?"

"The same month as my birthday?"

"Why not, it's perfectly right in the middle of fall and that's when all the leaves are changed and not falling to much yet because winter isn't for another two months."

"Alright, but what day?"

"You're born the thirteenth, so either something at the very beginning of the month or towards the end."

"How about the ninth?"

"October ninth. It's only four days before your birthday."

"It would be the best birthday present ever."

"I like it. We should do that then."

They reached the pitch with huge smiles on their face. Grabbing their brooms they rose into the sky and flew around. Performing moves for each other. Ginny was Seeker for the Gryffindor team and Kalya had tried out for the last year and was a Chaser. They didn't really have to go head to head, but they knew not to feel butt hurt over the other team winning.

Hours later found the girls freezing and the time nearing curfew as it was late on a Friday night. They placed their brooms back in the broom shed and found their way back to Kalya's room.

"It's not that important, but I've noticed ever since we came to school we haven't been intimate," Ginny blushed.

"Do you want to be," Kalya asked moving her body closer to Ginny's.

"I miss your kisses, touches, looks, and the way you make me feel," Ginny whispered.

"Who am I to deny you," her smile turned seductive and she walked Ginny backward till she was pressed against the bed.