Disclaimer: Only the fabulous J. K. Rowling has any claim on the Harry Potter characters. The plot, however, is ALL MINE! Hehehe…make sure you remember that…hehehe…

A/N Does anyone know how to get italics to stay when the story is uploaded? 'Cause if you do, I'd be eternally grateful to discover the trick. My Microsoft Word doesn't seem to have an option to save as a web page. Anyway, here it is, though with NO ITALICS! Grrrr….

Chapter 2 ~ Deceptive Dreams

Ron dragged Harry down to the Gryffindor common room where Parvati was comforting a distraught Hermione. Ron immediately crossed the room to Hermione's side, still obliviously towing Harry along, but once there, couldn't seem to come up with something to do with himself. Hermione continued to sob onto Parvati's shoulder obliviously and Ron extended a tentative hand and patted her comfortingly on the shoulder. She looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes and immediately threw her arms around his neck, sobbing even harder. Harry stood silently watching them, emerging slightly from his hard shell of pain to sympathize with his two best friends. Ron had dropped his hand to catch Hermione as she flung herself at him and now stood with his arms around her, whispering comforting nothings to her. Harry almost smiled; Ron was actually very good at that sort of thing when he didn't think about embarrassment. As he gazed at them, his eyes seemed to cloud, and for one precious moment, Hermione's hair took on a reddish hue and her features fogged into a new configuration…

Harry shook his head sharply and closed his eyes for a long moment; when he opened them again, Hermione only looked like Hermione. A sharp pain seemed to pierce his chest and he turned away slowly and ascended the stairs back to the boys' dormitory.

~*~

Ginny was overjoyed to see Harry returning to the dormitory. She had been too shocked that he had heard her to say anything further, and had also discovered that she couldn't leave the room upon attempting to follow Ron and Harry downstairs. She could move right up to the doorframe if she had no intention of trying to leave, but the moment the thought of exiting came into her mind, it felt as if she were trying to walk through glue. Typical. Nothing was easy, not even death. But when he entered the room, she knew she'd have another chance to talk to him and make sure that it wasn't a fluke.

She watched him drag himself across the room and flop down on his bed, wondering how he had escaped from Ron. She walked across the room and stood over him as he lay there, marveling at the extent of his suffering. She hadn't known that he cared that much for her, and while she hated to see him suffer, she couldn't help feeling gratified somehow. Ginny wouldn't allow herself to believe that he had loved her, but he must have at least thought of her as a good friend.

She realized that she was stalling. Ginny really didn't want to say anything. What if he didn't hear her? All her hopes would be crushed. But what if he did? Would it be better to live with the uncertainty or with the knowledge that he hadn't really heard her? She took a deep breath, although this had become completely unnecessary to her, and firmed her resolve. Was she a Gryffindor or not? Then a wry smile twisted her lips: "was" was definitely the key word.

"Harry," she whispered to his closed eyes. Ginny received no response, however, as the exhausted boy had already fallen asleep.

Sighing partly in disappointment and partly in relief, Ginny decided that her experiment would have to wait. She wouldn't have woken Harry up even if she could. He was exhausted and needed rest much more than she needed knowledge.

Ginny sat down on the edge of the bed next to Harry and watched him sleeping. It was soothing for her, as she herself could no longer sleep. After a while, when her observance became less restful and more boring, she noticed that there was very little of her being supported by the bed. With a cry of delight, she got up and promptly sat back down again on thin air. She'd seen Peeves doing this occasionally, and she'd always wanted to try it. She sat there for a while with a big grin on her face practicing genie positions until Harry began to toss and turn in his sleep. His face was twisted in anguish and her heart went out to him. She moved close to him and, acting on an impulse, leaned down and kissed his forehead. It was something she'd never have had the courage to do in life, but she was secure now in the knowledge that he wouldn't notice at all. Insubstantiality had its advantages.

~*~

Just before the light connected, another redheaded figure transposed itself in the way of the curse. The light connected and a burst of evil flame blossomed...

Brown eyes staring into his, trying to tell him...something – too late as the light flickered and died, leaving him in absolute darkness...

~*~

Harry found the dream suddenly cut off, as if a movie projector had broken down in the middle of a show. He wasn't awake, certainly, for this surreal landscape bore no resemblance to his shadowed dormitory.

He stood in a sunlit clearing surrounded by soaring birches and flowering bushes in deep violet and blue. A stream cut across one side, burbling happily along and then pouring down a miniature waterfall into a picturesque pond. Water lilies in pink and white floated serenely and birdsong filled the air. A cool breeze caressed his face and the startling thought 'This is no dream…' crossed his mind.

Harry heard a twig snap behind him and abruptly swung around to face someone he'd thought he would never see again. Her flaming hair danced in the breeze and her brown eyes stared into his with an expression of confusion and unease.

"Harry?" Ginny said uncertainly. Harry could only stare blankly and wish he would never wake up, because this most certainly was a dream. "Oh, if only you could hear me…" she whispered, looking at him longingly.

Harry felt as though he was drowning and didn't want to fight it. He was here (wherever here was) and Ginny was with him…his mind pulled up short at that point.

"You're dead," Harry said in bewilderment.

"You heard me! You can hear me! You can…you can see me? You can SEE me!"

Harry opened and closed his mouth several times, and then nodded wordlessly. With a squeal of joy, Ginny threw herself at him and hugged him tightly. At first, Harry simply stood there in shock, but then he hugged her back, savoring the feeling of completion he felt with her in his arms. The hard vise of sorrow that had closed around his heart abruptly loosened and dissolved and he couldn't help a pair of tears escaping his eyes.

Harry pulled away from her abruptly and gripped her shoulders tightly, gazing into Ginny's eyes intensely. "Tell me this is real," he said flatly. "Please, tell me it's real."

There was such quiet desperation in his voice that Ginny was stunned and a little frightened. She had seen his grief, but she had no idea he had missed her this much. She silently nodded her head a little and answered him.

"It's real, but not in the sense we both want it to be. I know I'm not really here, simply because you can see and hear me. But I, as in my consciousness, am definitely here. This is really me, just as you are really you, if you catch my meaning," Ginny smiled sheepishly and hoped he would understand.

Harry nodded thoughtfully as he digested her words, his eyes never leaving hers. "But how did you get here? You're dead," His forehead crinkled in perplexity and Ginny noticed how his voice trembled on the last word.

"Well," she said bashfully, "I'm not de– " But her words were cut off as the world swirled into a blur and faded into black.

~*~

Harry came awake with a jolt, sitting up abruptly, and scaring Ron almost out of his wits. Ron had been shaking his shoulder and the violence of his awakening belied the gentleness which had been used.

"Sheesh, Harry, it's just me! Calm down!" Ron said wearily and backed away, rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache. For the first time since the attack, Harry's gaze was clear and focused and, at the moment, tinged with concern.

"Sorry. How are you? And how's Hermione?" Harry asked in a quiet voice.

"Oh, we're ok, I guess. 'Mione just finally went to sleep. She was up all night, according to Parvati. How did you sleep, anyway? Lavender said you were having nightmares and she couldn't wake you."

Harry smiled inwardly at both the 'we' and the nickname, and answered, "Yeah, I was having some pretty awful dreams last night. But hey, I'm used to it by now."

"Oh, yeah," Ron shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I thought you'd better come down to breakfast, get some food, you know. And Dumbledore wants to see all three of us afterward."

Harry nodded and said, "But isn't Hermione sleeping? We shouldn't wake her; she was up all night—"

"And we're not going to!" Ron cut him off fiercely. "She's going to get as much sleep as she can and Dumbledore's just going to have to make do with us."

Harry nodded his agreement and rolled out of bed stiffly. He stretched and eyed Ron with an evil grin. "So what's with all this sudden interest in Hermione, hmmm? I notice you didn't have a problem with waking me up!"

Ron turned bright red and looked at the floor. "Feeling better, are you?" he muttered sullenly.

Harry nodded as they walked into the common room and through the portrait hole. "Though I'd be better if you hadn't woken me up," he added.

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Good dream or death wish?" he asked.

"A very good dream. Ginny was in it and she told me," he turned to Ron with a blissful smile on his face, "she told me she's not dead."

"Yeah, that must've been a good dream. Wish it was real..." Ron's voice trailed off wistfully.

"Ron," Harry said slowly, "I think it is true. I've got loads of experience with true dreams, what with Voldemort and all, and that's what this felt like. I think she's not really dead!"

"Harry," Ron said in the same careful manner, "Ginny is definitely dead. She," he swallowed convulsively, "she fell onto me. She was dead, and a dream isn't going to change that, no matter how much we wish it."

Harry shook his head stubbornly. "She's not dead, Ron. She told me herself." There was an angry glint in Harry's eye, and Ron couldn't help but remember when Harry had slammed him into the wall. He backed off and decided to let Harry keep his delusions for the time being.

The two boys ate breakfast in silence, ignoring the looks they attracted. Most were pitying but some, in the case of the Slytherins, were frankly triumphant. Harry and Ron both simply concentrated on their food and left as quickly as they could. They walked quickly through the halls towards Professor Dumbledore's office.

When they reached the statue that guarded the entrance, it leaped aside to reveal Professor McGonagall, who gestured at them to follow silently. They accompanied her into the Headmaster's office and sat down across from his desk wearily. Both had the subject of their summons in mind and were staring at the floor. Professor Dumbledore was busily writing something, and it was several minutes before he acknowledged their presence. When he looked up, the familiar twinkle was noticeably absent from his gaze and his eyes were rather hard.

"First," Dumbledore said gravely, "let me say that I am deeply grieved by the loss of Virginia Weasely. She was a wonderful girl and a tribute to the wizarding world. Let me next say that I am extremely disappointed in both of you and in Hermione, whom I assume has a good reason for not being here?" He paused with an inquisitive note in his voice. Harry took that as a cue to respond, even though he felt as if he was about an inch tall.

"Hermione didn't sleep all night and she was just dozing when we left. We didn't want to wake her," Harry said apologetically.

"We figured that you wouldn't mind since she was so tired," Ron chimed in a bit defensively.

Dumbledore nodded in acquiescence and continued, "I am extremely disappointed in you three for sneaking off of the school grounds, in the middle of the night, no less! Rules are in place for a reason, and that reason is to keep all of you safe. Those rules were disobeyed and a life was lost. Is that enough of a deterrent for you three, or must more sacrifices be made for your good times?"

Harry was shifting guiltily in his seat, trying in his mind to escape from the Headmaster's hurtful words, but it was true. It had been his fault. Ron simply sat like a stature and wouldn't meet the Professor's eyes. Suddenly, Harry sat up straighter.

"Professor Dumbledore, um, there's something I need to tell you," Harry said, ignoring Ron's frantic attempts to silence him. "Ginny's not really dead." He glared at Ron as he received a kick in the shins. Quickly, he explained to a confused Dumbledore about his dream and what Ginny had told him.

The Headmaster listened patiently, and, when he was finished, said, "I will think about what you have told me, Harry. Keep in mind, however, that some things may not be what they appear. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to have a word with Mr. Weasley alone."

Harry got up and left, secure in the knowledge that Professor Dumbledore knew what was going on.

~*~

Ron looked questioningly at Professor Dumbledore and the Professor looked sadly back. The silence stretched ever longer until Dumbledore asked, "How was Harry acting last night as opposed to this morning?"

Ron looked even more puzzled. "I wasn't really, ummm...thinking all too clearly last night, but...he seemed really depressed and kind of cut off from everything. Then this morning," Ron debated whether to tell Dumbledore about his and Harry's argument and decided that he'd better. "Well, this morning, I guess I was kind of blaming Harry for –" he swallowed and couldn't continue. "I was blaming Harry and he kind of snapped on me, shoved me into a wall – I deserved it, mind you, so please don't punish him – but then he just dropped me and asked who screamed. He said it sounded like Ginny," Ron's voice had gotten hushed at the name and he paused to compose himself. Then he opened his eyes and went on. "I didn't hear anything, but he seemed serious. He was all upset, and didn't want to leave the room, like he thought she was there. Then he fell asleep later, and when I woke him up, he actually seemed happy, and he kept telling me that Ginny was alive. I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen," Ron spread his arms in helplessness.

Dumbledore was frowning fiercely and Ron couldn't help but be worried by his response. "Professor? Something's wrong and Harry's my best friend; I'd like to know," he said with determined bravery.

The Headmaster snapped out of his reverie and looked at Ron with something that might have been pity. "Ron, you and your friends have just had a very distressing experience and some people deal with these things differently than others. It's possible that Harry has just had too much to deal with and, in a sense, lost touch with reality."

Ron looked at him with wide eyes. "You think Harry's gone crazy."

~*~

A/N Whew, I had no idea that would take so long, sorry to anyone who was waiting, and I do intend to continue this to completion. It might take a while between school and various illnesses that seem to be tracking me, but I guarantee, it will be finished! Thanks so much to my reviewers. I love reviews! So...special thanks to Virginia Lake, Julephenia, ummm... 'Winddance' (get your own screenname, 'cause you know I'm gonna make you keep reviewing! Luv ya!), Veldan (ha! That other one's not gonna get up for a very long time!), Bucky, and Yes I am a Bitch. Wow. Did I mention that I love reviews?