Disclaimer: I have no claim on the illustrious characters of JK Rowling.  Hey, but I do own the mirror spell!  That's good enough got me.

A/N: Wow, I got a shock when I went to ff.net and discovered that all my original fiction was gone.  Good thing there was an explanation. 

Chapter 14 ~ Illusions of Life

            Harry sat in the library, awaiting Ginny's return and fighting off a fit of depression.  The snail's pace at which they were moving irked him.  He kept thinking that there had to be some way to speed things up, hurry events along, so that Ginny could live again.  The resurrection was needed to repay his debt of carelessness to Ginny, to give her back the life which had been stolen through his lack of foresight.  That night…why could he have just told her not to come?  Ron hadn't wanted her along…if he'd just agreed with Ron, Ginny would be alive and well.  Giving Ginny back her life would even the score…

            But there was no hiding the truth.  His reasons for wanting her alive were selfish…if love could ever be called selfish.  He needed he r with him, needed her warmth and ready laugh, her indomitable spirit and her mischievous grin.  He felt half-empty without her, as if the vitality of his soul had somehow been drained and the only thing keeping him going was the dim hope of regaining her life and his own fiery need for vengeance.  Without either of those…he would be lost.  The fire of his anger and need fueled his life and when they burned out, he would die.  Or he would pass into the spirit world so that he could be with Ginny.

            He sat there and stared blankly at his homework for what seemed like an eternity, attempting to empty his mind of its troubles and woes.   Harry scratched down a word or two whenever he noticed Madam Pince watching him but otherwise devoted his thoughts to Ginny.  After all, what was more interesting, Ginny or the Dragon Protection Act of 1273?

            Midnight came, and Madam Pince moved purposefully around the library extinguishing the magical lights with her wand.  When she approached Harry, she frowned and asked, "Still here , are you?  You should get some rest."

            "I've still got to finish this essay, Madam Pince.  I don't suppose you'd let me stay here a bit longer?  A library really is the best place to concentrate on schoolwork," he added, thinking a bit of judicious flattery might be in order.  Indeed, the librarian's demeanor softened considerably.

            "It's so nice to see a young man interested in work for a change and not in coming to the library only to stare at a particular girl.  Of course you may stay.  I'll leave this one light on for you, but please turn it off before you leave."

            Harry nodded his agreement and she left without a backward glance.  He quickly gave up the pretense of working on his homework and began to fiddle with his wand under the table.  He wondered how much longer it would take Ginny to get here.  Hopefully she, Hermione, and Malfoy were making progress…and if they weren't, then Ginny needed to come find him now.  He was nearly sick with the anticipation of seeing her…of touching her…

            He saw her blue-white form swooping up through the floor halfway across the library, near the restricted section.  It was appropriate, he though, considering how often she herself was restricted from being with him…

            Under the table, Harry hurriedly aimed the wand at himself and murmured "Mortalus Spirium."  Immediately he felt an slackening inside, as if his soul was coming loose from his body.  He felt as if he might soar away at any moment…but he wasn't sure if that was the spell, or his elation at seeing Ginny and his anticipation of the time to come.

            By this time Ginny had floated over to him and was looking at him oddly. 

            "Hello, Harry," she said quietly, "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

            "Whoever said I wanted to talk?" he replied huskily, standing up to face her and carefully placing his wand on the table.  Her eyes widened in surprise. 

            "But Harry, what can we do except talk?  Was there somewhere you wanted to go?"

            "No, I think I'm rather happy right here," he said, and reached out to grasp her hands in his own.   The expression of delight on her face almost made him lightheaded.  To think that he had put such an expression there was pure delirium.  He brought each of her hands to his lips and kissed them in turn, all the while keeping his eyes locked with hers.  She smiled gently and freed one hand to caress his cheek.  He turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand and then captured her hand again, placing feather light kisses all along the length of her arm, drawing her closer all the time.  Finally, she stood directly in front of him, her face no more than inches from his own.  He looked into her ice-blue eyes, remembering their former warm chocolate brown…somehow, he was loath to break that spell and for long minutes he simply looked at her, his emotions swinging from joy to sadness and back again too quickly for him to even realize what he was feeling.  Ginny looked back, her face unreadable, until, with deliberate slowness, she leaned forward to press her lips to his. 

            Harry slipped his hands around her waist and drew her to him, closing the remaining distance between them until her body was pressed firmly against his.  He returned her kiss, gently at first, but with growing passion.  Her lips were so soft as to put rose petals to shame and he tasted them as one who has tasted the ambrosia of the gods.  He moved to unbutton her robes without breaking the kiss and then slipped his hands underneath her shirt to caress the smooth skin of her waist.  She gasped into his mouth as his cold hands came into contact with her warm skin, but grasped his hands and kept them there when he would have removed them, murmuring, "They'll warm up," against his lips. 

            How long that kiss lasted, neither of them could have said.  Both of them were breathing heavily when they finally broke apart, and Harry could feel his heart pounding.  Never in his life had he wanted anything so much as he wanted her…

            Harry moved to the chair he had vacated upon his arrival and sat down, opening his arms in invitation.  Ginny smiled and floated over to rest on his lap, wrapping her slender arms around his neck.  She leaned forward to kiss the tip of his nose before Harry captured her lips again, resuming the kiss from before.   She returned it as wholeheartedly as he gave it, making his heart soar.  If this was love, it was worth every sacrifice it was in his power to make. 

            "How long does the spell last?" Ginny asked during one of their infrequent pauses for breath. 

            "Forever," Harry said.  "You're the most magical thing in the world."  He was rewarded by a sweet smile and a laugh.

            "You know what I meant, silly," Ginny said.

"Between 45 minutes to an hour," Harry replied regretfully.  According to the clock, it had already been half an hour.  Harry sighed.  It didn't seem fair that time flew just when he wanted it to crawl.

            "Why don't we go back to the dorm?" Ginny asked, giving him another one of her devastating smiles.  "I'm sure your bed is more comfortable than a wooden chair."

            "I'm sure it is," Harry agreed, smiling back mischievously. 

            "Then I'll be waiting for you," she said and flitted away through the ceiling.  Harry gathered together his things and made his way through the halls toward the Gryffindor common room.  He suspected that he had a silly grin plastered all over his face, but he didn't particularly care.  There was no on there to see him anyway…

            Just as he the staircase leading toward the common room, a voice rang out behind him. 

            "Potter!  What are you doing out of bed at this hour?  Detention!"  The black robed form of Professor Snape detached itself from the shadows and descended on Harry like an overgrown bat. 

            Harry carefully wiped the grin from his face before he turned around and replied solemnly, "I'm sorry, Professor Snape, but Madam Pince gave me permission to stay in the library to finish my schoolwork."  He fished his partially finished essay out of his pack and waved it in front of Snape's face, hoping Snape wouldn't be able to see it well enough to discern its half-finished status. 

            Snape grabbed the essay out of his hand with the speed of a striking viper.  "Well, well, Potter, so this is what you call working?  Not very impressive, I have to say.  Are you sure that you weren't spending your time snooping in the restricted section instead?"

            "Of course not, Professor.  And if I had been, wouldn't I have set off…an alarm of some sort?" Harry said, at the last minute remembering not to let Snape know that he had indeed triggered the alarms in the restricted section before and knew that the books screamed when opened. 

            Snape shot him a suspicious look, but had to concede the point.  "I don't trust your intentions, Potter.  You must have been snooping for something.  Your sort always is.  Your father certainly always was.  I'll check up on your story with Madam Pince tomorrow, but until then, consider yourself as having a detention with me two days from now, and twenty points will be removed from Gryffindor."  Snape swept away to continue his rounds, his robes swirling behind him like the wings of a giant bat.  Harry, still feeling ebullient from his rendezvous with Ginny, couldn't help but stick his tongue out at the retreating teacher's back. 

            "You've just lost another ten points for Gryffindor with that attitude, Potter," Professor Snape said without turning around, and then with a swish of his robes, he was gone.

            Harry continued on to Gryffindor tower, refusing to let the bitter teacher ruin his good mood.  Ginny was waiting for him, and the sour old bat had already wasted enough of his precious time.  By the time he reached the Fat Lady's portrait, his grin was restored.  Harry climbed the stairs to the boys' dorm with anticipation and slipped between the curtains of his bed to find Ginny waiting for him. 

            "Why don't you get into something more comfortable?" she asked, gesturing to the pajamas he'd carelessly stuffed under his pillow that morning.  He grabbed them and made an awkward sitting bow.

            "As my lady commands," he said, laughter in his voice, and Ginny giggled.  "I'll be right back."

            He made his way to the bathroom and quickly changed into a flannel shirt and pants.  He didn't usually wear the shirt, but since Ginny was there…

            It was when he crawled back into bed that he realized that he might as well have been naked.  Ginny's ghostly hands passed right through his clothes; only his actual body was solid for her.  He shuddered as her touch sent shivers up his spine and cupped a hand around the nape of her neck to draw her close for another kiss.  They were both filled with a desperate passion which said more clearly than words that they both knew their time was running out. 

            When they broke apart, they simply lay in each other's arms for a timeless moment.  Harry could feel his eyelids drooping; he was exhausted from the late night meetings they'd been having, as well as the stress of his days.  He fought sleep with all his will; he didn't want to leave Ginny, didn't want to waste their precious time together with sleep.

            "Harry, you're tired.  You need to sleep," Ginny whispered at that moment, breaking into his inner struggle. 

            "But—" he protested wearily.

            "No buts.  Sleep.  And in the morning, you can remember that you fell asleep in my arms," she said, smiling tenderly.

            "I can't think of anything more pleasant, except perhaps waking up in your arms," Harry said, trying not to sigh.

            "One day, if this works," Ginny said sadly.

            "One day," Harry echoed, and then relaxed into the comforting warmth of her arms, closing his eyes.  After several minutes, he heard Ginny's voice again, speaking softly.

"I love you, Harry Potter," Ginny said, her voice wistful.

"I love you too, Ginny," he whispered, his lips curving into a smile, before drifting into slumber as a feather drifts through still air.

~*~

            Ginny watched Harry sleeping, reveling in the feeling of having him in her arms.  It would be gone all too soon.  With gentle fingers, she traced the line of his jaw, memorizing the feel of his skin.  What a wonderful night, and to hear Harry say those words…she had thought him asleep, but she was fervently grateful that he hadn't been.  He loved her.  She repeated that over and over in her mind.  Harry loved her.

             A lock of hair fell into her eyes, and she pushed it absently behind her ear, continuing to stare at Harry.  But then she gasped in surprise and pulled it back before her eyes.  Her silvery hair was interspersed with streaks of brilliant crimson and the hand which held it had the creamy tint of life.  She almost looked more solid at that moment than Harry….

            With a shudder she realized that, indeed, Harry's hair was streaked with translucent silver and his skin had taken on an unnatural pallor.  She felt a fear grip her heart; there was no way that this could be a good thing.  Her mind heavy with concern, she brushed Harry's messy, black and silver hair back off his forehead and waited.  Ginny waited for the spell to wear off, for a sign that her beloved was all right, and for the time of her resurrection so that she might also fall asleep in the arms of the one she loved.

~*~

A/N: This chapter is for anyone who wanted a bit more H/G romance, and I must say, I had a good time writing it.  It took so long to get out because I need to be in a specific mood to write good romance, so I would just like to take a moment to thank my boyfriend for getting me in that mood.  I love you, my dear.  And thank you to all my reviewers!

Silver Witch: Wow, thank you so much!  That's a huge compliment.  I just hope I continue to be worthy of it.

Angelus:  Thanks for taking the time to check out my story and I'm glad you like it!

Bessorla: I'm sorry you found it confusing, but that was the way it's supposed to be.  It's another plot wrinkle.  You'll understand eventually, and if Ginny has any more of these sudden plunges into depression…it's planned like that.  Thanks for the input though.  And where's your next chapter, eh?  I'm going into "Cloak of Identity" withdrawal. 

Veldan: I know I already explained the answer to your question to you, but I'll type it up again just in case someone else had the same question.  The first reflect was never enough to break the mirror spell – when I was talking about catching the power and sending it back, I meant multiple times and not just once.  And once the power shattered Draco's mirror, the power had achieved its purpose, so it dissipated.  I hope that clears up any misunderstanding.  Oh, and thanks for reviewing!

Now here comes the difficult part: All my anonymous reviewers.  I'm sorry, but your names got wiped out at some point during the site's split.  I love you just the same, but I can't for the life of me remember which name goes with which review.  It sucks and I'm sorry.  But thank you!

One anonymous review (I think it was from Temporary Insanity, correct me if I'm wrong) mentioned that a mirror only intensifies power if it focuses a beam of light.  I was thinking more of the way mirrors increase the light in a room if you place them right.  If you place a mirror on an angle from a window and then direct the light to another mirror and so on and so forth, you can make that room pretty darn light with only the light coming from one window.  I think I came across that effect in a computer game actually…or maybe a book.  But regardless, it seems to me that it acts as a kind of multiplying effect by redirection.

Most people don't use the mirror spell because most people don't know about it.  And it's also a pretty high level spell.  Draco and Hermione can only manage it because they're pretty intelligent.

As far as using the mirror spell on Voldemort…thanks, you just gave me an idea.  I don't promise to use it, and it's nothing simple as just "taking him out"…but I won't say any more here and ruin the story.

Yes, it blocks Avada Kedavra.  As I said, it's not well known.  And besides, it's my story, and I say it does.  I don't usually take that privilege, but I'm taking it now.  The mirror spell blocks everything.  So there.  *sticks out tongue* Hehehe, sorry, I can be a tad childish sometimes.

The magic-eating thing…interesting.  Very interesting.

Thank you for taking the time to think of all that stuff.  Wow.  Thanks.

To my other anonymous reviewer: Thank you again!  And don't worry; I'm not in any danger of falling behind.  I'm rather a Hermione myself.