Dumbledore was not completely wrong; Harry did come to his office before the Headmaster had been back at school a full day. He brought Ginny with him and his demeanor was resolute, not full of the despair Dumbledore had expected.

"I have not been able to find a means of removing the Horcrux from you," he confirmed, looking carefully at Harry to make sure he understood.

Harry nodded. "That leaves me alive, you mean." He was holding Ginny's hand and the Headmaster could see him rubbing his thumb back and forth across it. Ginny's face was unreadable, but then, Dumbledore didn't know her nearly as well as he knew Harry. He was glad Harry had brought her with him. The boy wasn't going to let himself live like he was already dead if he was still relying on his girlfriend.

"Yes. That leaves you alive. The only way I've discovered to destroy a Horcrux is to . . ."

". . .put it beyond all magical repair," Ginny finished for him. Her lips twitched. "Hermione told us already."

"Ahh," said Dumbledore. He leaned back in his chair and touched his fingertips together in a gesture that had become a fallback over the years when he wanted to induce a visitor to speak.

"I know it," said Harry. A hint of defiance shone through his calm façade. He didn't need it said again, and he wasn't expecting Dumbledore to have an answer. It was the fate Dumbledore had been trying to keep from Harry for over five years. He was just sixteen now, and part of Dumbledore still didn't believe Harry was old enough. Unfortunately, he didn't have a choice anymore.

"Did you find another one? A Horcrux?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. I think I know what I'm looking for, but actually finding it has been more difficult than I imagined." The Headmaster watched Harry; the boy couldn't completely hide the look of relief at the news. A second later he frowned.

"That's too bad," he said. "All that work for nothing." He looked right at the Headmaster. "I want to go with you, next time."

Dumbledore hid his surprise. Until that moment, he hadn't been sure about how much Harry wanted to involve himself in the hunt for Horcruxes.

"Are you sure? It will likely be dangerous." To bring home his point, Dumbledore held out his blackened hand.

Harry nodded firmly. "l'm sure."

The Headmaster nodded back. "Okay then."

Harry and Ginny left soon after that. Ginny had barely spoken two sentences in the office, but it was more than obvious how much Harry relied on her now. Dumbledore filed that bit of knowledge away in his mind; he'd have to consider what it meant later.

Harry managed to put all thoughts of Horcruxes out of his mind as Christmas grew closer. He was not staying at school that year; the Weasleys had invited him to the Burrow and he was only too glad to accept their invitation.

He hoped Ron hadn't mentioned to his parents that Ginny and Harry were dating; as far as Harry was concerned, that bit of information could stay at Hogwarts. Indefinitely.

And honestly, both he and Ginny thought the attention giving the whole dating thing had gotten rather out of hand. Now that the rumor that he was the "Chosen One" was fully revived, everyone – well, everyone who was a female seemed to want to get closer to him. Like, really, really close.

Harry was used to being stared at and whispered about when he walked the halls, but never by gangs of giggling girls who stopped to ask him inane questions about classes he wasn't taking or where he'd bought the plain black robe he was wearing. He'd been offered boxes of chocolates, pictures of girls he barely knew and other wrapped gifts, and more than one had asked him to sign a picture of him pulled out of the center of Witch Weekly. Hermione warned him that she'd even overheard several girls in the library trying to figure out the best way to slip him a love potion.

Ginny was having just as hard a time, and Harry was becoming mildly concerned for her safety. It seemed like half the girls in school were jealous and kept trying hex her in the hallways while the other half cornered her with nosy questions about Harry's personal life. Although Ginny didn't have to worry about love potions, two Hufflepuffs had attempted to slip something into her pumpkin juice that was designed to make her reveal every place she and Harry had snogged.

Fortunately, Ginny had too many years of experience as Fred and George's little sister to fall for any tricks. After several students had to go to the Hospital Wing to have bat bogeys removed from their noses, a lot of the more blatant attacks on her stopped.

"I knew you could take care of yourself," Harry commented idly one night in the Common Room. It was fairly empty – a new layer of snow had drawn most of the students outside. Neither Dean nor Ron were around and Harry took advantage of the quiet to pull Ginny onto his lap so he could reach her mouth easily.

Before kissing him back, Ginny snorted. "Like I would let you think anything else," she said.

Harry was about to reply when Ron suddenly came down the stairs from their dormitory with an odd look on his face. He was carrying a box chewing on something. Harry considered pushing Ginny off his lap – just to avoid watching Ron roll his eyes, but Ron didn't even seem to notice them. He looked rapidly around the room, his eyes darting back and forth as if he was searching for something – something that apparently wasn't in the Common Room. His shoulders slumped after a second and he flopped into a chair near Harry and Ginny.

"Hermione's still in the library," said Harry.

Ron looked up, confused. "Huh? Who?"

Ginny reached out and smacked him on the side of the head. "Hermione, Ron, remember? That girl you've secretly wanted to snog for the past two, three . . ."

"Five," said Harry.

". . . years," finished Ginny.

"Why would I want to snog Hermione? I'm not in love with Hermione." Ron looked truly confused.

Harry exchanged a quick glance with Ginny. She mouthed Lavender? at him and Harry shrugged.

"Uhh, who are you in love with, Ron?" asked Harry slowly.

Ron leaned back against the chair, a dreamy smile on his face. "Romilda, of course. Isn't she beautiful?"

"Romilda Vane?" asked Ginny incredulously.

"Yeah," sighed Ron. He popped something into his mouth and for the first time Harry realized the thing Ron was holding was a box of chocolates.

"Ron, where did you get those chocolates?" asked Harry.

"I dunno," mumbled Ron, his mouth full of candy. "Under your bed, I think." He swallowed and looked hopefully at them. "So can you help me find Romilda?"

Harry groaned. "Ron! Those chocolates appeared on my bed the other day without a note! I was going to show them to Slughorn when I got the chance – they probably have a love potion in them or something."

Ginny giggled. "Ron took a love potion that made him fall in love with Romilda Vane?"

"Apparently so," said Harry. "Come on, let's get him to Slughorn's office before he makes a total fool of himself."

Only by promising Ron that Romilda was in the Potion master's office were they able to get him out of the Common Room – he kept trying to climb the stairs to the girls' dormitory looking for Romilda.

In the hallways, Ron kept up an inane chatter about how Romilda's hair was dark as ravens – and did Ginny think her eyes were the color of sapphires or the ocean – until Harry was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from snorting out loud.

Halfway to the office their progress was derailed when Ron thought he caught a glimpse of Romilda's hair through one of the windows that overlooked the courtyard. He was practically licking the glass, trying to get a better look even after it was clear to both Harry and Ginny that Ron was actually salivating over a comprehensively wrapped Pansy Parkinson.

"Ron," Ginny said sweetly, pulling on his arm. "I know that Romilda is waiting for you in Professor Slughorn's office." She gave Harry a look.

"Right," said Harry hastily. "I, er, think she's even got a romantic surprise for you there – uh, something to eat or drink. Something you'll really like."

Ron looked up, interested. "Butterbeer?" he asked. "I think it's so cute when Romilda licks her lip after she drinks a butterbeer."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "When was the last time you saw Romilda drink a butterbeer, Ron?" she asked.

Ron didn't answer – he was too busy hurrying down the hall in front of them.

"Romilda?" he called, pushing open the door to Professor Slughorn's office. Harry and Ginny walked in behind Ron – to prevent his escape when he discovered that the object of his desire wasn't there – but the room was dark and Harry realized that the Potions teacher wasn't in the room either.

"Where do you think he is?" whispered Ginny quietly as Ron walked farther into the room, looking under the desk and behind the storage cabinet, as if Romilda Vane was hiding from him.

"I don't know," Harry whispered back, "but try to stall Ron. I'm going to look in the cabinet for something that might help."

Ginny walked over to Ron and suggested that he sit down, "because Romilda was sure to appear any second," while Harry wrenched open Slughorn's storage cabinet and began rifling around in it.

There were bottles and plants and insect parts and a container full of lumpy brown rocks and Harry quickly realized that he had no idea what most of them were used for; he certainly would not be able to brew any sort of antidote to help Ron.

He'd just closed the cabinet and was going to suggest they go look for Slughorn in the staffroom when Ron jumped up and lunged for something sitting on the desk.

"Hey, butterbeer!" he crowed, pulling the top off a large bottle full of a dark liquid that was certainly not butterbeer. "I'll bet Romilda left it for me!"

"Ron, I don't think that from Romilda," Ginny began, just as Harry said, "That's the bottle of mead Slughorn is going to give Dumbledore for Christmas."

Ron ignored them both and took a long pull from the bottle. A second later his skin turned faintly green and he began to sputter and then choke.

"Ron?" Ginny asked sharply. "Don't joke like that."

But Ron wasn't joking. Before Harry could even get over to him, he'd put his hands to his throat and fallen to the ground, shaking uncontrollably. His eyes rolled back into his head and foam began to pour from his mouth.

"Ron!" Ginny cried out, kneeling beside her brother and shaking his shoulders. She looked up at Harry. "Help him!"

Harry stared, horrified, as Ron's choking turned to gasping and his face began to turn blue. He looked down for a millisecond at the wand in his hand and just as quickly disregarded it – he didn't know any spells that could help in this situation. Without really thinking about it he turned back to the cabinet of potions ingredients and began rifling through it.

"Oh god, Harry, he's not breathing!" Ginny sounded close to full panic.

"Hang on, Ron, just hang on," Harry muttered. He pushed aside the bottles of insect wings and grabbed the container of brown rocks he'd seen earlier.

"Ginny, are these bezoars?" he asked, shoving one in her face. Ginny looked blankly at him for a second as if she didn't understand the question, then her face cleared. Instead of answering, she plucked the rock out of his hand and shoved it down Ron's throat. Ron convulsed and shuddered, then took a gasping breath and a bit of color flowed back to his face.

Ginny exhaled. "Yeah, that's a bezoar," she said shakily.

Harry collapsed on the ground next to her and began loosening Ron's robes. Neither he nor Ginny spoke while he worked, watching all the while as Ron's breathing calmed a little more and he stopped shaking. "We need to get him to the Hospital Wing," Harry said finally. He couldn't keep the tremor out of his voice. What if he hadn't seen the bezoars there? What if he hadn't realized what they were? What if Ginny had been a minute slower?

"Harry," said Ginny slowly. Her voice sounded very small.

"Yeah, I know," Harry said heavily. Without looking, his hand found hers. "Can you conjure a stretcher?"

Just then the door to Slughorn's office opened and the Potions master walked in. He looked around in bewilderment at the bottles spilled and broken on the floor and Harry and Ginny kneeling over Ron, whose eyes were still closed.

"Oh my," he blustered. "What happened here?" He darted forward and picked up the half empty bottle of mead that was lying on its side. "Is this my mead? I was going to give this bottle to Professor Dumbledore."

"Be careful, Professor," Harry said urgently. "The mead is poisoned and we have to get Ron to Madame Pomfrey as soon as possible. Can you help us conjure a stretcher?"

Slughorn gaped at them, shocked. "Poisoned? My boy, are you sure? How can it be . . .?" he trailed off, looking disturbed.

"We don't know how," said Ginny impatiently. "But my brother needs help now."

Slughorn pulled his eyes away from the bottle he was holding and then put it carefully on his desk. "Right," he said, waving his wand.

Only when Ron was safely in the Hospital Wing and Madame Pomfrey had pronounced that he was out of immediate danger did Harry allow himself to relax a bit

He and Ginny explained to Professors Slughorn and Dumbledore what had transpired from the moment Ron came downstairs after eating the tainted candy, and then endured the hugs and praise from the entire Weasley family when they came to see Ron. Harry cringed when Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gushed about how lucky they were that Ron had sat with Harry on their first train ride to Hogwarts; he felt like he tended to put Weasleys into danger a lot more often than he got them out of it.

He was trying very hard not to allow the horror at what had almost happened creep into his thoughts when Ron finally opened his eyes and groaned.

Hermione had been sitting by Ron's bedside, barely speaking. Now she grabbed his hand. "Ron?" she asked quietly.

He looked up at her, and Harry could see the confusion on his face. "Hermione?" he asked uncertainly.

Hermione bit back a small smile. "I'm here, Ron," she said.

Ron struggled to sit up, but he was apparently too weak. He fell back against the pillows, looking white.

"Don't exert yourself dear," said Mrs. Weasley, coming over to his other side and straightening the blankets. "You gave us all quite a scare."

Ron tried to sit up again and finally managed to prop himself higher on his pillows. "But where's Romilda?" he asked.

There was a heartbeat of silence and then Ginny exploded with a loud snort of laughter.

"He's still under the love potion!" she giggled.

A second later Harry got it too and started laughing. "That must have been a strong potion, to outlast the poison in the mead," he said, wiping his eyes. Even Hermione, after a moment of shock, was smiling and Fred and George were wearing identical looks of glee that made Harry glad he had not been the one to eat the tainted candy.

"What?" Ron sounded rather annoyed. "Where is she? Doesn't she care at all?"

"Be glad she doesn't , mate," said Harry with a grin. "Trust me."

Professor Slughorn had a hurried conversation with Madam Pomfrey and she disappeared into her office for a moment, returning for a steaming goblet.

"Drink this, Mr. Weasley," she said easily, "and Romilda will be along in just a second."

With that promise, Ron obligingly drank the potion, sputtered a bit, and then suddenly gave a horrified blush at the sight of his family gathered around him. Mrs. Weasley still seemed worried but everyone else was doing their best to bite back chokes of laughter.

"Do you still want us to go find Romilda, Ronniekins?" asked George, who was not even attempting to keep a straight face. "Ouch!" he said, rubbing his side where Hermione elbowed him.

"Please, don't ever let me near a box of chocolates again," muttered Ron. "What was I thinking?"

"No one answer that," said Hermione sharply as both Fred and George opened their mouths. "At least it wasn't Lavender this time."

George still looked like he wanted to say something but Madame Pomfrey interrupted.

"Enough!" she said. "We still need to transfer Ron to St. Mungos. I can't counteract all the effects of the potion here."

"We're coming along with you," said Mrs. Weasley. She took her husband's hand.

"Me too," said Hermione quickly. A hint of a blush rode up her cheeks but she kept her head high.

"Well we have to get back to the store, now that we know there isn't going to be a surprise wedding or anything," said Fred, cuffing Ron on the side of the head. "I'm glad you're okay though."

"Thanks," Ron mumbled. He closed his eyes and Harry realized how weak he still looked.

"And Harry, you can save my life anytime you want," continued Fred conversationally.

"Let's hope I don't have to," Harry managed as the rest of the Weasley family began to file out of the Hospital Wing or towards the Portkey connection to St. Mungos. He looked at Ginny. "Are you going too?"

Ginny gave him a long look. "I think you need me more than Ron does," she said softly.

Harry wondered how she knew that. "I do," he said simply. He knew he would have nightmares for the rest of his life about Ron's face, blue and not breathing, laying on Slughorn's carpet.

"Then I'll stay with you," she said.

The weather around the castle turned frigid after the students returned from the Christmas holidays. Although it had been relaxing and pleasant to be at the Burrow, the holiday atmosphere had been somewhat diminished by Ron's close call. The poison had weakened him enough that he spent most of the break lying on the sitting room couch and beating Harry at chess instead of engaging in the snowball fights and general mayhem Harry had envisioned for Christmas at the Burrow.

Even Ron's joking comment that Harry's finding the bezoar in time had more than made up for his attempting to kill Ron earlier in the year didn't completely pull Harry out of his melancholy. Finally, on their first day back at the castle, Ginny cornered him near the fireplace in the common room.

"Okay Harry," she said, quietly enough that they couldn't be overheard. "You've enough time to think about whatever it is that's bothering you. Time to talk." Her face softened just a bit. "Is this still about Ron?"

"No," said Harry automatically. "Well, yes. Maybe." He shrugged helplessly, not sure what to say, but inside he was rather relieved that Ginny had decided not to let him mope anymore.

Ginny cocked an eyebrow. "That's helpful."

Harry gave a wry smile. "Yeah." He thought for a second. "It's just . . . all these terrible things keep . . . almost happening. I know Draco's involved, but we don't know how. And we aren't closer to finding the other Horcruxes or figuring out when I'm going to have to . . ." His voice trailed off. He'd hadn't meant to bring it back to that.

Ginny grabbed his hand and pulled him down onto a loveseat. "You've barely mentioned that for a month," she said. Harry waited, but Ginny didn't say anything else. He sighed.

"Yeah, well, it's not something I like to dwell on," he said.

"But you are dwelling on it, Harry," said Ginny. "Right?" You just aren't sharing it with us . . . me."

"I don't want to be depressing all the time," said Harry heavily.

Ginny gave a light snort. "Well, you're failing. And anyway, that's what I'm here for, remember?"

Harry nodded. He didn't realize how much he'd been keeping inside these past weeks. "I thought I was past all that," he said out loud. "Or that I was so obvious," he added. He leaned over and looked Ginny in the face. "Forgive me?" He kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Of course I forgive you, Harry." Ginny put both hands on the sides of his face. "And I'll forgive you again the next time you clam up and keep everything inside." She leaned forward and kissed him back, as lightly as he had at first, and then Harry felt her tongue ghost across his lips, prizing them open.

He groaned and opened his mouth. It had been too long. Hardly caring that he and Ginny were in the common room in full view of pretty much all of the Gryffindors, Harry pushed Ginny back against the sofa cushions and ran one hand down her side.

It was lovely.

After that, Harry found that it wasn't too hard to make a conscious effort to separate his moods. There were times he could almost forget about the death sentence hanging over his head or his concerns about what Malfoy was up to or when Dumbledore planned to look for another Horcrux. During those times he joked with his friends and practiced Quidditch and snogged Ginny in every private corner of the castle they could find.

When the worry crept in – as it did on a regular basis, he didn't fake happiness for the sake of protecting anyone anymore. To his surprise, it made the bad moods easier to bear. And he could still snog Ginny in every private corner of the castle they could find.

January had blurred into February and the castle was beginning to buzz with talk of a Hogsmeade weekend for Valentines Day when a tiny first year interrupted Harry and Ginny as they whispered together in the Great Hall.

"What?" asked Harry with more irritability than he'd intended. They had been discussing how to sneak down to the Quidditch changing rooms before practice tomorrow and Harry was already feeling the familiar tingle he got in his stomach whenever he thought about spending a significant amount of time hiding somewhere private and kissing Ginny.

"Uhh, Professor Dumbledore wanted me to give you this," the student stammered dropping a roll of parchment on the table and running off.

Harry's stomach stopped tingling and suddenly felt like it was full of lead. As he picked up the parchment, he was surprised to see his hand was shaking a little bit.

"Do you think he found a Horcrux?" Ginny asked.

Harry unwrapped the note asking him to come to Dumbledore's office at 6 pm the next evening. "And wear warm clothes," the note finished.

Harry crumpled it in his hand. "Yes," he said to Ginny. "We're going to get it tomorrow."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Should we tell the others?"

"Not now," he said, making the decision on the spot. "Tell them tomorrow night, after I've gone."

Ginny nodded. "Okay."

Harry took a deep breath. He wasn't sure how he felt right now and only one thing seemed real. He turned and looked at Ginny,forcing a smile back on his face.

"I guess maybe we should check out the Quidditch changing rooms now instead," he said. He touched her cheek and leaned in to give her a kiss, letting his body rub up against hers.

Ginny peered at him and Harry knew she was trying to figure out if he was trying to hide his feelings.

"Really," he said. "Yeah, I'm a little freaked out," he admitted, "but I don't want to dwell on it right now, okay?"

Ginny smiled and took a step closer to Harry. She wrapped her arms around his back and put her lips up to his ear. "The Quidditch changing rooms are awfully far away," she whispered. "How about we check out that broom closet down by the kitchens instead?"

Harry shivered. "Let's."