In Essence: Undivided

by Velvethopefics

The sequel to 17, Clumsy & Shy. Harry begins his final year as he and Ginny embark on a new relationship filled with danger, mystery and plenty of Voldemort shenanigans to keep them hopping. New friends and new bonds are made, and some old friends are lost. Started pre-HBP and now, finally, after many years, it will indeed be finished.

18. Unsettled

18: Unsettled

Harry made the girl, whoever she was, get dressed. He kept a death grip on her arm and shoved her against the wall, quickly bending down to pick up the rest of her clothes and forcing them at her. She whimpered, but her eyes told a different story, and he felt his anger rushing through him, trying to find a way to get out. He pulled his shirt back on and threw his robe around his shoulders. He realized with dismay that not only did he have his wand in his robe pocket, but he had Ginny's as well.

"Get moving," he said, his voice not sounding like his own. She blinked at him, her face taking on the mask of fear, but his small ability with Legilimency meant he knew better.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, Harry, but -"

"Shut up. Don't even try it," he said in a cold voice.

She stared at him, and he watched as she changed - her face twisting into something ugly. Harry felt slightly unnerved to see such a look of pure hatred coming from the girl he loved and blinked his eyes slowly.

"You're never going to get to her in time," the girl said smugly. "The plan's already worked too well."

"Oh yeah?" Harry said, moving closer to her. He pulled roughly on her arm, and then pushed her back against the wall again, enjoying the wince of real pain he saw on her face. "I'm going to take you to Professor Dumbledore, and we'll see what you say then."

The girl sniggered, and Harry had to bite his lip to keep from slapping her face. "Please, there's nothing Dumbledore can do. Don't you think if there was he'd have done it by now?"

Harry frowned at her and tugged her arm again, pointing his wand at her. "Move. Now."

She gave him a superior look and fluffed her hair - Ginny's hair - around her shoulders defiantly. Harry marched her down the stairs and then through the portrait, trying to keep his temper in check. He knew his only chance of finding out what had happened to Ginny was with the despicable creature in front of him. She smirked at him as they headed down the hallway. He pushed her suddenly, unable to control himself; he pulled her wrist behind her back until she gasped, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Why Harry, no one ever told me you liked to play rough. I thought you only liked to be dominated. Didn't know there was a top in there somewhere. All my research pointed to you being a bottom."

Harry felt something break open inside of him - something ugly and wild - he could feel the heat of it on his skin. He saw the girl's eyes open wide, and for the first time, saw an honest flicker of fear inside of her. He felt himself smile coldly.

"I have no qualms about breaking your arm," he heard himself say as he tightened his grip. "And I don't need magic to hurt you," he continued, knowing it was true. Harry had often thought all of his anger and dark thoughts had come from his connection with Voldemort - but this, he knew, was purely him. He would kill to save Ginny. The simple realization of that fact settled over him, and he didn't run from it like he knew he should.

He gripped her arm again until she made a whimpering noise against her will. He could see her determination to remain smug faltering. "Tell me where she is," he said quietly.

"Go to hell. Your little bitch of a girlfriend will soon be dead."

Harry released her suddenly, and she fell forward, hitting the wall. She turned, a sneer on her face, apparently thinking her words had hurt him. She opened her mouth again, and Harry calmly moved his hand without thinking; her voice died in her throat. An expression of surprise filled her features as she realized what he'd done.

"Voldemort isn't the only one with a few tricks," Harry said softly. "I'll give you your voice back when you decide to say something worthwhile." He pulled her away from the wall and shoved her forward again, towards the stairs.

They were on the fifth floor when Harry heard his name being called. He turned to see Professor McGonagall striding towards them - she appeared frazzled and upset.

"There you are, Mr Potter," McGonagall's eyes narrowed as she took in their appearance, and Harry cut her off before she could lecture them.

"We're going to Professor Dumbledore's office," he said, taking hold of the girl's elbow. "Something's happened; this isn't Ginny."

Professor McGonagall's eyes widened as she looked at the girl, who was now, of course, trying very hard to appear feeble. Harry was glad he had cast a Silencing Spell on her, not wanting to hear more lies come out of her mouth.

"I was sent to find you, Potter. Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape are in the village. There's been an attack. Are you certain -"

"What? What's happened?" Harry searched his feelings - surprised to not have felt something. He knew his link with Voldemort was open... It had to be. He realized his anger at the girl had probably helped keep him grounded and concentrating on one thing.

"A band of Death Eaters attempted to get into the village, past Professor Dumbledore's spells. Only a few were successful, but it was enough to cause havoc. We've also received word that Lucius Malfoy has escaped again. Albus sent me to find you and Miss Weasley."

Harry shook his head. "This isn't Ginny. We have to get to Dumbledore right now. I think this attack or whatever was just a diversion to get to her and replace her with this...person."

Harry felt that same feeling of coldness come over him as he realized what that meant. He was tempted to open his mind up completely - to connect with Voldemort then and there - to call him out. Professor McGonagall must have seen something in his face that she didn't like because she touched his shoulder with her hand.

"Don't, Harry. Let's wait for Albus. Why don't you release that girl and use a Binding Spell to tie her hands in place. She won't be going anywhere."

Harry looked down at the grip he still had on the girl's arm, frowning. It hadn't occurred to him to use a spell to keep her in line. He realized he had been enjoying hurting her. He dumbly pulled his hand away and flicked his wand; two small ropes appeared, keeping her hands behind her back. Her eyes - Ginny's eyes -blazed at him in anger and loathing, and Harry wanted to shake the image of it out of his head. For the first time, he suddenly felt something other than cold fury, and he shuddered, closing his eyes. His anxiety and fear for Ginny coursed through him, and he felt Professor McGonagall's hand tighten on him.

"Harry?" she asked quietly, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"We have to find her quickly," he said, not certain how he knew that.

Professor McGonagall nodded and frowned as she looked at the girl. "You finish taking her to Albus's office. I have a stop to make first. We'll soon get to the bottom of this treason."

She headed down the stairs quickly, and Harry watched her for a moment, glad that Professor McGonagall was able to think clearly in a crisis. He looked at the girl again and started leading her downstairs, his thoughts and fears churning inside of him.

o-o-o-o-o

"My Lord, our attack of the Hogsmeade village has been disrupted. Some of our members could not access it as easily as we had hoped. And it appears there was some warning beforehand -"

Voldemort stared at Rookwood with distaste, and the other man stopped talking. "But we have our prey, do we not?"

"Yes, My Lord. And Lucius has returned as well. He is with...Weasley as we speak."

Voldemort smiled at the contempt he heard in the other man's voice. "Weasley has proven himself more in a few weeks than you have your entire length of service to me, Rookwood. I would hasten to remind you of that when he gives you orders."

The man before him paled and murmured something that Voldemort chose not to hear. "Fine. Please tell me when Bella returns. I am assuming she was able to get past the wards that Muggle-loving fool thought would work?"

Rookwood nodded.

"I trust she manages not to botch this small task I have given her; I would hate to have to reprimand her again. But I did not expect our presence to be truly felt with this attack; we have done what needed to be done. We have Potter's whore. That is all for now. Tell Lucius I will join them in a few moments."

Voldemort raised his hand and gave a half-wave to indicate he was through with the discussion. Rookwood turned and left quickly. Voldemort closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reaching out to take a taste of Harry's fear and anxiety. He frowned when he was unable to make any connection. He felt a momentary flare of anger, and that was all. He had not honestly expected their doppelgänger to fool the boy for long and had half expected to feel a flash of panic from him before now.

"We'll see how long his reserve holds when I let him see me hurting the girl," he said out loud, smiling to himself.

o-o-o-o-o

Harry stared impassively at the girl as they waited outside Dumbledore's office. She ignored him, defiantly tilting her chin away from him. Harry kept himself on the other side of the small hallway, not trusting himself in case she tried to provoke him. He narrowed his eyes as he watched her - physically still his Ginny - and wondered why the Polyjuice Potion she had obviously taken had not run its course by now.

"When do we get to see the real you?" he asked evenly. He used his wand to release her from the Silencing Spell. She flicked her hair over her shoulders and acted as though she hadn't heard him.

"You might as well tell me who you are."

She eyed him and sneered. "So, you can know who you almost got to make love to?"

"What you were proposing wasn't making love. You wanted to be in control, and you wanted to hurt me," Harry said flatly.

The girl sniggered. "Oh, for the romantic tendencies of sensitive boys. Wake up, Harry. You wanted it as much as I did. Remember, I was the one feeling your prick rubbing against my body. I wonder what the little Miss Weasley would say if she knew."

Harry didn't mean to do it, but the girl fell backward as though pushed by invisible hands. She groaned as her head hit the stone wall and looked up at him.

"My, my, reckon I hit a sore spot then, did I? Doesn't the little girl tend to your real needs, Harry? Is everything just hearts and flowers with her? I bet she cries every time you touch her. Maybe you just need a real woman for a change; to see that sex is always about control. I would have made you come so hard you would have fallen on your knees and thanked me."

Harry narrowed his eyes. He knew she wanted to upset him, but he couldn't figure out why. He took a deep breath and finally shrugged at her.

"I pity you," he said simply, and he was rewarded by the sound of her laughter.

"I don't need the pity of Harry Potter. Idiot. The Dark Lord has powers you cannot possibly comprehend. He will soon rid the world of you and your Muggle-loving companions."

Harry smirked at her. "Oh, so this is about him, is it? Tell me, how is Tom? Did you know that's his name? Tom Riddle. From his Muggle-father. He's a half-blood. Funny, isn't it?"

"You can call him whatever you want...it doesn't matter. Soon all you'll ever know about him is that he is the one that took your precious Ginny away from you. He's really quite upset with her, you know. Perhaps he'll show her how a real woman is supposed to act in bed -"

Harry wasn't even aware he had crossed the small distance between them. He grabbed hold of her and shook her.

"Take that back," he said, his voice low.

"Worried now, are we? Oh, don't worry, he wouldn't soil himself with the girl, but I am certain he has plenty of companions who would be more than willing. She is a pureblood after all...a Muggle-loving half-wit of one, but pure blood nonetheless."

"Harry!"

Harry blinked at the girl in front of him and then turned to see Dumbledore, followed by Professors Snape and McGonagall, moving quickly up the stairs to them.

"Lower your hand, please," Professor Dumbledore said, eyeing him cautiously. Harry frowned and looked at his hand, not even aware he had raised it. He realized Professor Snape had his wand drawn, although he was not pointing it at him. Harry let go of the girl with his other hand, pushing her back so that her head hit the wall again. He stepped away from her, feeling his anger eating away at him, but this time it was more than just anger - he had seen the truth of her words in her eyes. Voldemort was planning on truly hurting Ginny.

Professor McGonagall led the girl into the office, and Professor Snape paused, his eyes catching Harry's for the briefest of moments. Harry didn't understand the look and felt too upset to wonder about it, and it was gone too quickly for him to really register. Snape closed the office door, and Harry moved forward to go through it, but Dumbledore stopped him.

"I wonder if we might let them be with her for a few moments while we talk, Harry."

"We need to find out what she knows and go get Ginny," Harry said, hearing the tone of finality in his voice.

"And I need you to be in control. I will not allow you to go after Ginny if you can be swayed by Tom. I fear that is what he wants."

"What he wants is to hurt Ginny," Harry said, his voice flat.

"What Tom wants is to make you weak. And this is something you cannot allow."

"Fine. I'm in control," Harry said, meeting Dumbledore's eyes and letting him see the certainty inside him. "I've barely felt him. Maybe I'm too angry, I don't know."

"Brogan has told me as much."

Harry startled, having forgotten that Dumbledore had his own spy in the form of Brogan. He also realized something else.

"Can he feel Ginny? Is she okay? Has he felt her being scared at all or -"

"He insists that he felt it happen and then nothing, which leads me to believe that for the time being, Ginny is being kept unconscious."

"Then we have to find her before they wake her up...before...before...whatever it is he wants to do to her...he's going to make me watch it," Harry said, feeling the first flush of real panic inside of him. The idea of Ginny being hurt was one thing. Actually seeing it because Voldemort wanted to revel in his horror was another. He tried to squash the fear inside of him, killing it before it could fully bloom. He struggled to give more room to his anger, knowing it was keeping the hopelessness at bay.

"You have to fight him, Harry. He hurts Ginny to get to you. He does not understand love, but he does understand the pain it brings when it is broken apart. Do not give him this edge."

"Then what do you want me to do?" Harry practically shouted, suddenly losing his hold on his emotions.

"Remain in control. Hold onto your anger if you need to. He will feed on your pain and anguish, and he will use it to make himself feel powerful."

The door to Dumbledore's office opened suddenly, and Professor Snape appeared. He looked at Harry and then at Professor Dumbledore.

"She's been transformed back into her normal self, but she still refuses to tell us her name. I can give her the Veritaserum now, headmaster."

"Harry, you can listen to us question this impostor, or you may join Brogan and Mr Weasley and Miss Granger in the Gryffindor common room. It is your decision."

Harry shook his head. "Is everyone okay?"

"There were no casualties of any students in the Village."

"Then I'm going into your office," Harry said dully, nodding at Snape to move out of the way.

Dumbledore nodded at Snape, and Harry entered the office, determined to get to the bottom of what was going on.

o-o-o-o-o

Ginny heard herself being called, and she awoke as though from a deep sleep. She kept her eyes closed, feeling disoriented and weak. She murmured Harry's name and tried to turn, thinking she was in bed. She felt an icy chill wrap around her as she heard a piercing, unnatural laugh.

She opened her eyes, and it came back to her - Ron pulling her out of the shop, hurting her arm. Something being pressed against her face. She stared at the thin yet horrifying figure of the man in front of her and somehow managed not to shudder openly. His coloring was pale, almost ghostly white, and his eyes were two narrow slits. There was something utterly abnormal about his appearance - as though his sallow, putrid skin was merely window dressing over something that was much more terrible. As he realized she was awake, his eyes filled with something close to glee.

"Ah, you have decided to join us, Miss Weasley. Wonderful. Lucius was worried he had perhaps given you too strong a dose."

Ginny didn't say anything, her eyes resting on the three shadows that stood behind Voldemort. They kept their heads lowered, hidden behind dark cloaks. This can't be happening...this is a nightmare, she thought irrationally to herself. She felt her fear at the back of her throat as Voldemort laughed at her.

"Yes, my child. This is real. You are...as they say, very much within my clutches. And there's no Harry Potter to save you. In fact, thanks to an old acquaintance, he may not even know you're gone." Voldemort paused and moved closer to her, looming over her. Ginny realized she was being held against something and was unable to move her head to the side to see what it was. She willed her defensive abilities to kick in - to do something to help her out of this, but her body felt completely held back. She felt something heavy and cold against her wrists. Ginny forced herself to meet Voldemort's gaze. He sneered at her, his mouth a horrible contortion on the emaciated mask that was his face. She swallowed roughly and flinched as he drew near to her.

"You see, Ginevra," he said now, his voice hissing over her name as though caressing it. "Ever since our little battle of wills, I've wanted to spend some time with you. I want to know why you have the strength to fight me. I want to know why Harry cherishes you over all others now. I have felt traces of his nauseating feelings for you, and I want to know why he seems to think he has a reason to live now."

Ginny could feel her heart beating fast in her chest, and didn't want to speak - she didn't want to hear her own fear in her voice. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction. He smiled widely at her, obviously seeing the struggle in her eyes.

"See, I much prefer Harry hatinghis life as opposed to enjoying it. I think that were I to take away the one thing that truly makes him happy, he will be that much easier to destroy. Not to mention, of course, that I would simply enjoy killing you."

Voldemort's hand strayed forward, as though he was going to touch her, and she shuddered, jerking her head back as far as she could. She forced herself to talk.

"I'm not going to tell you anything, you deceitful, vile bastard -"

Ginny felt something hit her, and it was staggering for a moment - as though something heavy had fallen on top of her, and all of her air had been cut off. She tried to exhale - to breathe - and found that she couldn't. She closed her eyes, feeling dizzy, but then strangely calm. Something warm flared through her, and she finally released her breath, starting to choke as her lungs realized they could work again. When she was finally able to breathe easily again, she opened her eyes to see Voldemort frowning at her, something close to disbelief in his eyes.

"You fought that off much quicker than you should have. What is it about you?" he asked curiously, peering at her as though she were something to be dissected and then tossed aside. He turned to the man closest to him.

"Lucius, please educate the girl again. I want to see how long she lasts."

Ginny didn't have time to react before she felt the same sensation again, making her jerk her head back in pain. This time, the staggering loss of air stayed with her a little bit longer, and it hurt more to finally breathe air into her lungs. Voldemort arched an eyebrow at her, before stepping away.

"Again, Lucius. Wormtail, duplicate the spell on my command."

Ginny saw the third figure of the group stir and saw two wands being raised in her direction. The air was pushed out of her again, and she felt herself grow faint - painful pricks of light behind her eyes as she choked once more. She came to only to hear something that made her blood go cold.

"Again. And this time, Weasley, you join the other two."

Ginny saw the figure in the middle step forward, arm shaking slightly, and then she knew nothing but pain as her breath was again drawn away from her.

o-o-o-o-o

"Lucius Malfoy contacted me when it was discovered that Harry Potter was in Ireland. Members of my family helped the Dark Lord once before, in the first war."

Sioda's voice droned on in that lifeless, unemotional tone that people under the effect of Veritaserum generally had. Harry had heard enough to know that should he ever be left alone with Sioda again he would never be able to stop himself from hurting her.

She had told them how she had kept tabs on Ginny, how she had tried to learn about her Prophecy, and about Brogan's. She had spied on Harry and Ginny, and when that had not given her the answers she'd needed, she had then tried to rope Brogan into her plan.

But as far as Harry could figure out, Sioda hadn't known enough to actually tell Voldemort anything he probably didn't already know. Since her contact with Malfoy had been cut short, thanks to his foul-up in Diagon Alley, and she had been caught by her sister sending letters - she had thought her role in things was over. Until she had found a way to contact another Death Eater - and make it to London to speak with Voldemort himself.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment as Professor Dumbledore continued to question Sioda. He suddenly felt very sick to his stomach, and it pushed his anger away as though it were a paper raft floating on a violent sea. Harry abruptly felt as though he couldn't breathe, and before he knew it, he fell forward to the ground, hands flat against the cold stone floor, trying to take in deep breaths of air. He felt something or someone behind him, but another tightness flared in his chest, causing him to cry out in pain.

Harry didn't know how long he remained on the floor, or even how they had managed to turn him over onto his back, but when he finally opened his eyes, Brogan was staring down at him, saying something. Harry lolled his head to the side, suddenly too weak to even look straight ahead. Brogan reached out and touched him, and he immediately felt loads better - the choking, dying feeling was leaving him, and he realized he could breathe much easier. Brogan pulled him up into a sitting position, and Harry stared at everyone around him.

"He's choking her," he said, in answer to a question no one had asked.

Dumbledore kneeled down beside Harry, but his question was directed to Brogan.

"Do you think you can do it at this distance?"

Brogan was looking at Harry, his face pallid. His eyes searched Harry's before nodding his head grimly. He put his hands on Harry's shoulders, squeezing him tightly.

"Breathe, Harry."

"I am," Harry said dully, not understanding. His head still felt mixed-up.

"Think of Ginny. Breathe for her. Use your connection and help her fight them."

Harry took in a deep breath as Brogan closed his eyes. Harry felt a warm sort of something push through him - something very sound and very right. The more air he breathed in, the better he felt. Brogan's face was distorted in concentration, and he was murmuring something under his breath. He opened his eyes, so bright and blue against the paleness of his skin and looked at Harry.

"Now close your eyes. Find her."

Harry did as he asked, the pleasant feeling growing inside of him. He suddenly felt Ginny - could almost see her in his mind's eye. She was weak, but she was fighting. Harry suddenly felt incredibly strong, and before Brogan could even tell him to do it, he was sending that strength to her - feeding it to her - giving her everything he could.

Brogan started to shake as Harry smiled, completely oblivious. Harry suddenly understood something, and it felt amazing - he couldn't believe something so simple had taken so long to understand. Harry saw the solution before him and reached out to take it - he was bringing her back to him.

o-o-o-o-o

"Enough," Voldemort's voice was cold, and Ginny let her head fall forward, hating the sound of the feeble sobs she could hear coming out of her mouth.

"You are weakened, but you are not as weak as you should be. This is most astounding, indeed. Tell me, girl, what else can you do?"

Ginny kept her eyes closed and almost gasped out loud when she felt Harry's presence. Her head cleared immediately, and she felt amazingly on form again. She almost smiled as she realized she could now throw off the iron clasps they had trapped her in.

"Not going to talk still?" Voldemort's voice purred, unaware, in her ear. "How tedious. I suppose I will have to do something to persuade you. But first, let me make certain I have an audience."

She knew Voldemort had turned away from her, and she felt her strength - Harry's strength - gather inside her as she pulled her hands free of the shackles. She snapped her head up as Voldemort turned and looked at her, his eyes wide. Three figures were moving towards her, and the first one reached her, his hood falling back off his face. She had a moment to register her brother's face and the sharp, pungent scent of something that made her dizziness return for a moment.

"Stand aside, Weasley, I will handle this," she heard Voldemort snarl. She pushed as hard as she could against Percy, and he surprisingly fell backward, causing a domino effect on the two figures behind him. She used the opportunity to bend to the floor, out of their way. She felt a swell of heat against her neck and glanced down, suddenly aware that they had not removed the necklace Harry had given her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Voldemort raise his wand towards her, a confident sneer on his face.

"Foolish girl, it does not bother me to truly hurt you. Cru -"

Ginny grabbed hold of her necklace with her right hand and suddenly felt the harsh, quick pull at her navel as it sent her back home to Hogwarts.

o-o-o-o-o

Harry blinked as Ginny landed a few feet away from him. The Portus Spell he had done had worked. She hit the floor with a soft 'oomph,' and Professor Snape bent down to tend to her. Harry felt the flare of power inside of him crest and then flow away, almost as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving him feeling absolutely depleted. He pulled away from Brogan and crawled forward, desperately needing to touch her.

When his hand found hers, she looked up, her face dirty and extremely pale. Her eyes were wide and full of so much emotion that he was amazed she wasn't crying. Without realizing it, they both sat up, pushing Professor Snape away. Harry pulled Ginny to him and buried his face into the crook of her neck - her hair tickling his face. He pressed his lips against her skin, needing to feel her - to connect with her in every way.

She sobbed, and then he felt her shudder against him. He pulled back to reassure her that she was okay, to tell her everything was all right when a fierce burst of pain tore through his head, causing him to cry out and fall back onto the floor. His head felt as though it were exploding, and all he could feel was rage - pure and total. It was too much, and Harry felt it consume him, and then there was nothing but darkness as unconsciousness took him.

o-o-o-o-o

Ginny pretended to sleep as the voices whispered around her. She had refused to let them separate her from Harry. The two of them were lying in a bed in the hospital wing, together.

She was frightened, and she kept her head on Harry's chest, listening to his heart beating, needing to make sure he was still there. She felt as though she were falling through time - lost and cut adrift from everything that she knew. It was an entirely irrational feeling, but she couldn't seem to fight it. She clutched at Harry's hand, shivering at its complete lack of warmth. They didn't know what was wrong with him. She didn't know what was wrong with him, and so she kept her eyes closed - not sleeping - but waiting for the first sign that he was coming back to her.

o-o-o-o-o

Brogan watched Harry and Ginny sleeping. He knew she wasn't really asleep, but he let her continue on with the charade, not wanting to draw attention to it. He knew Madam Pomfrey would only want to force-feed her a Sleeping Potion. And he knew that wasn't what she needed.

He tried to get a sense of something from Harry, but couldn't. He had felt a small impression of what Harry had experienced and was amazed the other man was still breathing. It had been almost unbelievable pain - a sense of anger so complete it had nearly choked him with its intensity. Voldemort's connection to Harry had been broken wide open with that anger, and even now, it caused Brogan to shiver with revulsion. He had never felt anything so vile. To think of Harry fighting something like that - day in and day out - it made his appreciation for him go up even more.

He crept to the bed, looking down at them. His heart broke in a way he didn't think was possible - he felt extremely protective of them, suddenly. Brogan hesitated and then finally reached out, putting his hand over Ginny's. He closed his own eyes and sent comfort to her, wanting to take away the fear and anxiety he felt inside of her.

When he was done, he opened his eyes and found Ginny staring at him with dark eyes. But they were not eyes that were full of sorrow as he had expected. Instead, they shone with something that looked like hope.

"Thank you," she said softly, and she turned, moving closer to Harry, her hand slipping out of his, their connection broken.

But Brogan didn't need to be physically touching her to know he had helped. He backed away slowly from the bed and turned, slipping out of the room. His emotions - now filtered with Ginny's - swirled inside of him. All that mattered was that she and Harry were safe.

Brogan headed downstairs to Professor Dumbledore's office. He had a strong desire to pick a fight with a girl who should have known better.

o-o-o-o-o

The next morning, Harry opened his eyes and felt as though he were returning from a long, dark tunnel. He blinked and tried to focus on something and felt someone move against him. He looked down and smiled at the fuzzy image of a redhead lying against his chest, her arms wrapped around him. He moved his hand and touched her head, letting his fingers get lost in the softness of her hair. He frowned as he tried to recall exactly why he was in a bed in the hospital wing.

Ginny stirred at his touch and turned her head, her eyes fluttering open. Harry squinted at her and smiled as he saw her eyes opened wider.

"Harry?" she asked softly. "You're really awake?"

"Hmm, I think so."

Ginny shifted and propped her head up, looking down at him in wonder. She cupped his face with her hand and kissed him gently. Harry slowly moved his arms and pulled her closer to him, settling her on top of him. As his hands slowly traveled over her body, she rested more easily on top of him. He felt something else on his body wake up as well and finally pulled his mouth away from hers.

"Yeah, I'm definitely awake," he said softly, looking at her.

Ginny's face was flushed, and she smiled, lowering her mouth again to his. "I was dreaming you were awake and now...here you are," she said tenderly. She rubbed against him, and Harry suddenly couldn't think of anything except wanting her. She shifted, and he felt her hand move under the blanket he was under.

"Gin, we're in the hospital wing...I mean, aren't we?" Harry said as he lay his head back, trying to clear it.

Ginny made a small 'hmm' noise and went back to kissing his chest, pushing the blanket out of the way, pulling up his pajama shirt. After a few moments, Harry exhaled a deep breath, feeling a rush of heat spreading through him.

"Gin, please." Harry heard the words escape his mouth, but he wasn't sure if he was pleading with her to stop or continue. She settled on top of him again, and his arms moved of their own accord, gripping her backside. Suddenly nothing mattered except getting her out of her clothes.

But they both froze as they heard a door open somewhere, followed by the sound of steps. Harry saw some of the desire in Ginny's eyes fade as she blinked and shook her head, common sense seeming to return.

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm down as well. He didn't think he'd fancy Madam Pomfrey walking in on the two of them - she'd been patching him up since he was eleven, and he wasn't confident she'd appreciate learning about some of the more physical aspects of his person. Harry opened his eyes and smiled at Ginny as she moved off of him, curling herself around him.

"We need to get out of the hospital wing," she said quietly, and he chuckled.

"Do you know where my glasses are?" he asked, trying to look around.

Ginny turned, and then he felt her slipping them on his face for him. He frowned slightly as he realized how pale and tired she was. He touched her face.

"Are you okay?"

Ginny shook her head. "I'm fine; you're the one that's been unconscious for a day and a half."

"Then why are you the one who looks like death? You haven't moved from this bed, have you? And you haven't slept much either."

"Can you blame me?" Ginny asked, her eyes growing darker. She sat back and looked at him. "I didn't want to leave you, in case you woke up."

"Ginny, you still have to take care of yourself -"

"Yeah, right, because I'm certain if it were me in this bed, you'd be out having a grand old time."

Harry shut his mouth and frowned. They stared at each other for a moment, and he finally shook his head.

"Fine. You win. But as soon Madam Pomfrey comes to check me out, I want you to go eat..." Harry paused and made a sniffing noise with his nose. "And for heaven's sake, bathe, would you?"

Ginny stared at him as though mortified and then giggled. Harry smiled and pushed her hair away from her face. He searched her eyes and remembered how scared he had been at the idea of having lost her.

"What did he do to you?" Harry asked then, not wanting to ruin the moment, but needing to know.

The amusement died in her eyes as she looked at him, frowning. "He...he just wanted to test me...he couldn't seem to get his head around the fact that he couldn't hurt me."

"So, he tried to choke you."

Ginny nodded her head. "He nearly succeeded." She looked away from him and then back again as she met his eyes. "But then I felt you, and...Harry...you were so...strong. It was...amazing."

Harry nodded and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "No, we were amazing; I only felt you. And I only wanted to save you. He really didn't like that."

"I don't know exactly what happened, but...it was like...you were there...and...my necklace..." Ginny paused, and her hand closed over the necklace she was still wearing. "I didn't know you knew how to turn something into a Portkey."

Harry moved his hand from her face and closed it over hers. They both held on to the stone around her neck. "I didn't know I knew how to do it, either. I don't even know what I did exactly. I just...saw it and knew what I had to do to bring you home."

Harry paused as he thought about what else had happened when he'd been in that state of understanding - something more had occurred to him, but it seemed distant now. His head felt empty of any memory of what had happened after that. Even though he still felt a reasonably strong echo of the pain that Voldemort had inflicted on them. Harry looked at Ginny as he thought of something else he had felt.

"Where's Brogan?"

She appeared startled at the question and frowned. "He had something to do with it, didn't he? He was here, in the night, and he...he comforted me a bit. I couldn't get a sense of you, and he held my hand and did something to ease my worries."

Harry nodded in understanding. The sound of footsteps once again invaded their thoughts, and they both turned as Madam Pomfrey came around the side of one of the curtains she'd put up.

"Mr Potter! You're awake!" she exclaimed as she looked at them. Ginny moved off the bed.

"Yes, just now, I'm sorry I didn't come to get you," she said to the nurse, her cheeks turning pink.

As Madam Pomfrey started to poke and prod at him with her wand, Ginny smiled at him over her shoulder. "I'll go see if Ron and Hermione are awake, and then maybe take a bath or something."

Harry smiled widely at her but then almost cursed as Madam Pomfrey gave him a particular painful jab.

"Lie back, Potter, let me make certain you're really all right," the nurse said sternly.

Ginny smiled again, and he watched as she slipped away through the opened curtains.

"I'm fine, really," Harry said, feeling embarrassed as the nurse started looking at his chest. He folded his arms over himself, feeling self-conscious. "Everything happened in my head."

Madam Pomfrey stopped and narrowed her eyes at him, reaching up and removing his glasses. She checked both eyes and gave them back to him, shaking her head.

"Professor Dumbledore wanted me to make certain you were truly untouched."

Harry frowned, not understanding. Madam Pomfrey continued examining him and then finally stopped, nodding at him.

"How is your head, then?" she finally asked. "No headaches, no twinges?"

"It's fine," Harry said, not sure he would tell her even if it were bothering him.

"I have to ask this, Mr Potter, and I need you to be truthful. When you were with the impostor...nothing happened, did it?"

Harry stared at Madam Pomfrey. "What?"

"When you were with the impostor, the two of you didn't physically do anything, did you?"

Harry felt his face heat. "No. Nothing like that."

Madam Pomfrey studied him and then nodded. "Good."

Harry shook his head. "But why would it matter if it had?" he blurted out before he could stop himself.

"There are spells that can be used during...certain acts. Professor Dumbledore wanted me to be certain you hadn't been the victim of one."

"Oh," Harry said dumbly, wondering what sort of spell they thought Sioda had used against him. He then realized he didn't actually want to know.

"If you feel any strange feelings or notice any markings appearing on the rest of your person, you'll let me know, correct?" Madam Pomfrey said as she pulled away from the bed.

Harry nodded his head. "Er, yeah, of course. Um, what sort of strange feelings?"

"You'll know," Madam Pomfrey said mysteriously. She left him for a brief moment and then returned with a smoking goblet of a very putrid looking potion. She handed it to him.

"Go on, drink it; it'll perk you right up. You're still a bit too pale for my taste." She paused as Harry looked doubtfully down at the goblet. "Well, go on. That's a perfectly fine potion; Professor Snape brewed it, especially for you, and I know you don't want me to tell him you didn't take it."

Harry made a face and then drank as much down as he could. He handed the goblet back to her. "That tasted like grass."

Madam Pomfrey's face twitched as she looked at him. "Oh? Did it? Usually, Professor Snape adds a bit of something else to even the taste. He must have overlooked that ingredient."

Harry didn't say anything and lay back against the bed. He did feel a bit more like himself, he had to admit. But he wasn't sure if it was the potion working or the fact that he was now more awake. He suddenly wished he hadn't sent Ginny away. He felt very keen to be alone with her and then felt bad-mannered for thinking about only one thing. But Harry knew he would have to have a lot of long discussions with people regarding what had happened and realized that he just simply didn't want to be bothered.

o-o-o-o-o

Ron and Hermione entered just as he was finished getting dressed. They both paused at the foot of his bed, looking at him with worry. He gave them a half-smile.

"I'm all right, you two. You look as though you're surprised to see me up and about."

"Ginny was so worried about you, mate -"

"And you looked so pale and weak while you were lying in bed."

Harry smirked at his friend. "Well, gee, Hermione. Thanks."

Hermione frowned at him. "You know what I meant. But how are you now? You at least have some color back in your cheeks."

Harry assured them he was okay, and he sat on the edge of his bed as Ron sat in the chair, looking more than a little relieved as well. Harry reckoned he really must have looked bad while unconscious.

"So, how did it go...in Hogsmeade? With the Death Eaters?" Harry finally asked his two friends, and they shared a glance.

Hermione finally looked at him and shrugged. "Well, we were mostly out of it; we were in our room, as you know."

"Hermione saw it all from our window," Ron said, nodding his head. Harry noticed Hermione's skin had gone a bit pink.

"Er, yes, well, I'm sure Harry doesn't need to know about that. But...actually, that inn is in a perfect place if you want to view the whole village. I was amazed by how much I could see, really."

Harry wondered briefly why she'd been looking out the window in the first place, but nodded. "What happened?"

"Well, the Death Eaters appeared, but then so did Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape. Brogan and Tonks were also there. The Death Eaters actually didn't stay around that long...Professor Dumbledore said they were probably...just a diversion," Hermione said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, by the time we got dressed, and outside, everything was over," Ron added, sounding put out. "We didn't even know Ginny had been taken till later."

Harry nodded, and then something occurred to him. "Wait, you were looking out the window, watching all of this...and you weren't dressed?"

Hermione definitely turned pink at that, and Harry glanced at Ron, seeing a similar color on his friend's face.

"Well, they have very unique windows at the inn," Hermione said, sounding as though she were struggling with herself. "And they claimed that we could see out, but no one could see in…"

Harry held up his hand. "Right. That's all I needed to know, really." He bit back a smirk as he watched Ron and Hermione share a glance that told him more than any explanation could have done. He jumped down off the bed. "Do you know what they've done with Sioda?"

"No, but I would imagine Dumbledore is keeping her. I think Brogan's talked with her, but other than that, they haven't told us anything," Hermione said, shrugging.

"Yeah, and they're lucky too," Ron added, his face serious. "If I ever see her myself, I won't be held responsible. Brogan told us what she did - impersonating Ginny. It's...disgusting what they tried to do."

Harry nodded, not wanting to share precisely how appalled he felt that he'd fallen for her trick for as long as he had and allowed her to get so close to him. Still, after what Madam Pomfrey had just told him, Harry supposed it could have been worse. He suddenly felt as though he'd been away from Ginny for too long.

"I'm going to go to Ginny's room," Harry said without thinking.

"Er, well, Dumbledore actually wanted to speak with you -" Hermione started to say, but Harry shook his head at her.

"Dumbledore can wait. If you see him, tell him I'll...I'll go to his office when I'm able."

"Harry, I don't think you should be -"

"Just tell him, Hermione," Harry said, not wanting to hear her logic. "I've just woken up from fighting Voldemort, Ginny was kidnapped, and all Dumbledore probably wants to do is talk us both to death. He can bloody well wait."

Hermione closed her mouth in surprise, and Ron simply nodded at him. They started making their way out of the hospital wing, and Harry paused, turning to his two friends and giving them a small smile.

"I'm glad you enjoyed the room a bit before everything went to rubbish."

His two friends blushed again, and Harry was tempted to tell them to use his cloak and sneak out of school - to go back and enjoy themselves fully. But he knew Hermione would never go for it. Not to mention Harry assumed they'd declared Hogsmeade unsafe for everyone as usual. They parted ways at the staircase as Hermione and Ron headed down to breakfast.

Harry went up to the sixth floor and knocked on Ginny's door. She opened it slowly, peering out carefully.

"Harry, you're out of bed," she said, sounding surprised.

"Yes, but I plan on getting right back into one," he said, entering her room. She closed the door, and he looked at her, noticing she was in her dressing gown.

"Did you take a bath?" he asked.

Ginny nodded. "Yeah. I was just about to get dressed again and go back to the hospital wing. I expected to find you talking with Dumbledore, actually."

Harry waved his hand and walked over to her bed, laying down on it. A moment later, Ginny joined him, and she looked down at him as she settled against him.

"What's the matter?" she asked softly.

"I don't want to see Dumbledore," Harry admitted.

"He needs to know what happened -"

"He knows what happened. His spells didn't hold, you got kidnapped, and I got a dreadful headache and blacked out for twenty-four hours. What do we have to talk about?"

Ginny frowned at him. "Harry, what's wrong?"

"Nothing more than usual," Harry said, looking away from her.

"You're upset; I can tell. You're angry at Dumbledore too."

"Yes, well, I think he deserves some of my anger, don't you? He's the reason you were grabbed, after all."

"Harry, they grabbed me because...well, they wanted to hurt you, but they didn't succeed, did they? You're fine, and I'm fine, and nothing happened. Nothing that can't be washed away, at any rate." She touched his face with her hand, trying to comfort him.

"It's Dumbledore's fault," Harry persisted, feeling irrational, but unable to stop himself. He met Ginny's eyes.

"I would have killed to get you back, you know," he said, softly.

Ginny blinked at him, and her hand rested on his chest. She looked down at it and swallowed roughly. "I know," she said, not looking at him. "Would Sioda really have been worth it, though?"

Harry frowned. "No, you would have been worth it."

Ginny didn't look at him, and Harry felt as though he were missing something. He put his hand over hers. "Gin? What's wrong?"

"Did you sleep with her, Harry?" she asked, her voice sounding very small and frail.

"What? No! Who told you that?"

Ginny finally met his eyes, and she looked sad. "Professor McGonagall said something to Madam Pomfrey in hospital about checking you over for things...they thought I was asleep. She seemed to think the two of you had been up to something before you'd realized she wasn't me. It's okay, Harry, if...something happened. You didn't know she wasn't me -"

Harry wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down to him, holding her securely in his embrace. "I knew enough to know it wasn't you. She was vile and nothing at all like you. My body may have had a reaction to...what she was doing, but...that's only because it thought it was you it was responding to. Honest."

"What happened, exactly?" Ginny finally asked, meeting his eyes.

Harry sighed and released her. "We...started doing things," he said, shrugging as she sat back from him. "But it didn't get very far before I knew something was off."

"How did you know it was off?"

"Gin -"

"No, I want to know, Harry. Did you kiss her?"

Harry sighed again and knew there was no other way around this conversation. He nodded his head. "Yeah."

"And you didn't realize it wasn't me?"

"Gin, it was just a kiss -"

"But you didn't know it wasn't me?"

"No. Not at first."

"I see. Did you...did either of you get undressed?"

"Ginny -"

Ginny pulled away from him, looking more hurt than she had a reason to, and Harry kicked himself for not deciding to lie to her. She sat away from him, resting her legs under her chin, holding onto herself tightly.

"Were you naked, Harry?"

"No. I only took my robe and shirt off, er well, she sort of ripped them off, actually."

"Was she on top, or were you?"

"Ginny, for pity's sake -"

"The more you refuse to answer, the more I'll want to know," Ginny said, meeting his eyes. Harry sighed.

"She was. She seemed to think I liked it that way."

Ginny nodded. "And did you?"

Harry sat up and stared at her. "I think you know the answer to that."

"When did she bite you?" Ginny said, not flinching from his look. Harry felt a rush of heat on his face.

"Er, what do you mean?"

"She bit you," Ginny said, nodding. "I saw it earlier... when we were on the bed. It's on your chest."

Harry frowned and pulled off the jumper he had on, looking down at the mark on his chest, remembering feeling the sting of Sioda's...Ginny's...mouth bite down on his skin. There was a red indentation around his nipple, and he couldn't for the life of him honestly remember it hurting that badly to cause such a wound.

"Shit," Harry said without thinking, and Ginny moved off the bed. He stood up.

"Gin, look, it wasn't -"

"She hurt you, and you didn't even know. You must have been very excited," Ginny said softly, turning to face him. "Was she really that much better than me?"

"No! She was vile. Ginny, please, don't...don't do this."

"Do what, Harry? I just want to know how far my boyfriend went with a woman who wasn't me."

"That's not fair," Harry said, feeling himself get angry. "She looked like you, she talked like you, and yeah, she kissed like you. And maybe I let myself get carried away a little bit, but as soon as we started to...I knew it wasn't you, Gin. She was talking about controlling me and hurting me during..., and I knew that wouldn't be something you would do."

Ginny searched his eyes and then stepped back from him, as though not liking what she saw. "It excited you, though, didn't it, what she wanted to do to you?"

"No."

"You're lying, Harry. I can tell."

"Oh?" Harry said, trying to keep the sarcastic tone out of his voice, but failing. "You the expert at Occlumency and Legilimency now?"

"No," Ginny said, sadly shaking her head. "But I am an expert at Harry Potter. I can see it in your eyes, Harry. You were excited by it. I've...I've been with you enough to know," she finished softly, moving away from him. Harry suddenly felt very cold inside.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" he asked, keeping his voice calm.

"It means I've seen that look you get when I'm...when you let me take control, I see it sometimes. It's that part of you that liked me binding your hands, and it's that part of you that liked binding mine. Both those times were...it was some of the best sex we've ever had, Harry. Admit it."

Harry shook his head. "Oh, no. I'm not admitting anything. As far as I'm concerned, every bleeding time we do it is amazing, but if you want to categorize and cheapen our lovemaking, you go right ahead." He angrily turned away from her and took a deep breath, hoping she would drop whatever point she was trying to make. He knew he shouldn't be letting his anger get the best of him, but he couldn't seem to help it.

"Just admit it," he finally heard her say, sounding defeated. He turned around and stared at her.

"What is it exactly that I'm supposed to say here, Ginny? Oh yes, Sioda was a far better you than you are? That she really almost got me off by promising to hurt me, and I loved it so much I didn't even feel it when she bit me? Okay, fine. Yeah, for one tiny second, you're right, Gin, I did like it. No, wait. As long as we're truthful...part of me loved it. And you know what else? I wanted to hurt you too. And I really loved that. Oh yeah, thinking about hurting the girl I love really did it for me, Gin. You have no idea."

Harry heard the nasty, mocking tone in his voice and saw the hurt in her eyes and shut his mouth, feeling immediate regret. He ran his hand over his face and looked away from her.

"Oh, god, Ginny, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I was being foul."

Harry finally looked back at her and saw her, standing still in the middle of the room, her head down. He cursed and went to her, turning her around, watching the tears fall silently down her cheeks.

"Gods, I'm sorry, please. I didn't mean it. I was...I was...you just kept badgering me! Nothing happened between Sioda and me because I knew that you would never want to really hurt me, and when I felt that part of me that wanted to hurt her back, I knew for certain, it couldn't be you because I could never willingly want to hurt you either. I love you. Sometimes you're the only reason I want to get out of the bed in the morning. You're...you're everything to me."

Harry pulled her into his arms and clung to her, wanting to take back what he'd said. He hadn't really meant it - he didn't know why he had chosen to tell her what he had, knowing that she would only be wounded by it. He suddenly felt very annoyed with himself for being such a prat.

Ginny sniffed and then pulled back, not looking at him.

"You're right," she said softly, and Harry, who had been reaching out to move the hair off her face, paused, not sure he had heard her. He couldn't stop the smile that broke across his face.

"I'm sorry, but...did you just say I'm right?"

Ginny sighed and met his look. "You're right. I...I was badgering you. And if I wasn't ready for the answer, then I shouldn't have made you answer it."

Harry felt a choking feeling in his throat and hugged her to him. "So you believe me, then? You accept my first answer to your inane question?"

Ginny nodded against his chest, and he pulled back to see her face. She wiped at her eyes stubbornly and tried to smile as she blinked back at him. "But, Harry, if you're unsatisfied...I mean, if you want to...well, if you want to do anything different when we're together, just tell me and I'll -"

"Ginny!" Harry said, exasperated again. He put his hands on her shoulders and forced her to meet his gaze. "Everything we do is fantastic. I have never once been unsatisfied or unfulfilled or whatever other stupid words you want to use. I don't want to do anything the both of us don't want to do, is that clear? If you want to go the rest of our lives just...having sex in the same boring position, then I'm more than fine with that."

Harry kissed her then, softly, and she responded by putting her hands around his neck. When they parted, she smiled briefly at him.

"The very same position forever, Harry?"

Harry nodded and pulled her close to him again. His sudden keenness from the hospital wing returned in a flush of warmth through his body. Ginny sighed as though she felt it too and kissed his neck. He turned his head, capturing her lips in another kiss. They turned and moved until he was against the bed, and he sat down, taking her with him. Ginny eventually pulled away and looked down at him, her eyes bright. She touched his face tenderly.

"I can't...just yet, Harry. I'm sorry. I keep thinking of you with her. I keep seeing her face even though I know she looked like me...and yes, I know it's stupid."

Harry sighed and nodded. He put them upright again, and Ginny stood up, resting her hands on his shoulders. He blinked up at her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I understand...if you had been with someone else, I don't think I'd be too keen either."

"Oh, I'm definitely eager enough," Ginny said, a bit breathless as he rested his head against her. Her arms closed tightly around him, and he felt her fingers in his hair. "I think it's...Dumbledore's spell. It seems to be working overtime for some reason."

"I know," Harry said, his voice muffled against her body. "Maybe it's because Brogan connected us again. Remember last time?"

Ginny murmured something he didn't hear, and he held her tightly, suddenly not wanting to let go. He turned and looked up at her. She lowered her head and kissed his forehead, her lips soft against his skin.

"Do you think we can just hold each other then?" she whispered as she met his eyes. He nodded and released her, scooting back on the bed. She lay down next to him, and he curled himself around her, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. He removed his glasses and then rested his arms protectively around her. His body responded to the friction of their bodies meeting, and he released a long breath.

"Thank you, Harry," Ginny said softly, and he shook his head to clear it.

"For what?"

"For saving me, for...loving me. For putting up with me."

"Ginny," Harry said, squinting down at her. "There's nothing to put up with. As for saving you...I don't know, I think we both had a hand in that and as for loving you...I'm the one who should be thanking you for the privilege." He nuzzled her neck with his mouth, and she sighed, turning to face him.

Her hand moved in between them, and Harry moaned before he could stop himself.

"You are very keen, aren't you?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"It'll keep," Harry said roughly, moving away from her touch.

"It's okay," Ginny said, not meeting his eyes, but looking, he knew, at the mark on his chest, and he wished he'd put his jumper back on.

Harry shook his head. "No, not till we both want to. Not even until that mark heals, if need be."

Ginny gave him a half-smile and turned back around, letting them resume their previous position. Harry sighed and took a deep breath. She was still for so long he thought that she had fallen asleep, and she surprised him when she turned back to look at him.

"Madam Pomfrey has a salve that will heal it in a day or so," she said softly, reaching up to touch his face. Harry smiled.

"Get some sleep, Gin."

She nodded and turned back around, and he looked at her, making sure her eyes were closed. Eventually, he felt her body relax, and her breathing even. Harry tightened his grip around her waist and didn't sleep - his mind unsettled with too many thoughts.

o-o-o-o-o