Ch.3~Faith
Harry saw a faint gleam of red as he slowly and warily opened his eyes. He wondered for a second where he was before feeling the warm body next to him. He opened his eyes and saw Ginny lying next to him, her eyes closed with a faint smile on her face, and her hand lying lightly upon his chest.
Harry reflected on the events of the previous night, how Ginny had confessed her love for him. He had always known it was there, but hearing her say it had opened up a knew truth to him; that he cared for her deeply, he loved her the way she loved him. Reveling in this realization, Harry slowly and gently shook Ginny awake, a faint smile upon his face as his new found knowledge sunk in. He felt happy that he had the capacity to love, that he wasn't all horror and murder inside, that he had the ability to laugh and love and smile like Ginny.
"Hello, Harry" came her voice. She smiled a smile so genuine and pure that Harry knew they were healing each other; that his feeling wasn't one-sided.
"Hi" he said in a low voice. He wasn't sure if he should kiss her lightly on the soft spot on her radiant cheek, but he did want to. 'Well, there will hopefully be time for that, now is not the time and place' he thought to himself.
"Well, we should get going. You family is probably worried and wondering." Harry gulped. He had spent the night with Ginny. What would they think?
"I don't care" Ginny said defiantly. "They can think whatever they want to. I'm not ready to go home yet." She rested her head once more against Harry's chest, and Harry noticed how good it felt there, being so close to his heart. It seemed to warm his soul. Harry though about how, when around dementors, he felt he could never be cheerful again, with Ginny, he felt he could never be sad again. It was the most wonderful, soothing feeling.
"Well, I'm starving!" Exclaimed Harry. "Fancy Breakfast?"
"Of Course. I'm afraid I am not presentable!" Ginny laughed, trying to mat down her hair.
"Nonsense. You look beautiful." Harry proclaimed. He flushed a little; this was the first time he had said this to a woman and actually meant it.
A half an hour later, they were sitting at a dark table in the back of the Three Broomsticks, talking and laughing happily.
"Harry, honestly!" Ginny exclaimed. "How did you get 9 O.W.L.'s?"
"Well" said Harry mischievously "I'm just smarter than everyone."
"No, you are not, Mr. Potter." Ginny said humorously. " You are not smarter than me!"
Harry leaned back on his chair as the smile disappeared from his face. "I think," he said seriously, "that you are the smartest one of us all."
His eyes bore into her own. "What do you mean?" Ginny asked quietly.
"Even through everything, through all the terrible ordeals we have been forced to live through, you are the only one.." Harry paused. "You are the only one who still shines. You can still be happy. You can still laugh." Harry took a deep breath, and looked down at his hands. "That is greatest wisdom of all."
"Oh, Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, putting her hand on his. "I hurt and I cry like everyone else. But I move on. What else can I do?" Ginny's eyes were glazed with tears. "Sometimes it hurts to smile. But I do it. And every time I smile, it becomes a little easier." Ginny touched Harry's cheek gently. "We can't let them take our lives. We have to keep on living. If we stop living, then they have already won."
Harry leaned his face into Ginny's hand, and reached up to her hand with his own. "It's so hard." Harry said hoarsely. "I feel wrong being happy, when so many are dead."
"No, Harry." Ginny said gently. "They would have wanted you to be happy. Sirius, your parents- they died so that you could live and be happy."
Ginny noticed that her hand was wet. "I know. I try to be happy. To laugh. But it's hard."
Ginny sighed. "I know. It is for me too. But it'll get easier." Ginny paused and wiped his eyes. "It'll save you."
"No," Harry said quietly. "You'll save me. If anyone or anything can save me, you will."
Harry and Ginny spent the rest of the day enjoying themselves; careless and happy, as they should be. Harry wrote her an awful poem that she loved; Ginny sang to him in such a way that it made him cry. Neither wanted the day to end, but both knew that it must.
"Well, the sun's almost down." Ginny said. "I'd better be going."
"Yeah." Harry breathed. She looked so beautiful standing there, with her blue dress wrinkled, the evening sun shining on her wild hair which was streaked in front of her face, and the way her eyes glinted in the soft summer sun. "I'll see you later."
"Okay, Harry." Ginny said, smiling. She turned and began walking home.
Harry finally gave in. He had been dying to ask her all day, but he knew it would be fruitless. She couldn't possibly know that! Who would know something like that?
"Ginny," Harry said softly, suddenly, his sparkling eyes looking longingly into her own. "How long will it take?"
"Oh, Harry," Ginny breathed, being overcome with emotion. "It takes a lifetime. You've just got to have faith."
~to be continued~
Harry saw a faint gleam of red as he slowly and warily opened his eyes. He wondered for a second where he was before feeling the warm body next to him. He opened his eyes and saw Ginny lying next to him, her eyes closed with a faint smile on her face, and her hand lying lightly upon his chest.
Harry reflected on the events of the previous night, how Ginny had confessed her love for him. He had always known it was there, but hearing her say it had opened up a knew truth to him; that he cared for her deeply, he loved her the way she loved him. Reveling in this realization, Harry slowly and gently shook Ginny awake, a faint smile upon his face as his new found knowledge sunk in. He felt happy that he had the capacity to love, that he wasn't all horror and murder inside, that he had the ability to laugh and love and smile like Ginny.
"Hello, Harry" came her voice. She smiled a smile so genuine and pure that Harry knew they were healing each other; that his feeling wasn't one-sided.
"Hi" he said in a low voice. He wasn't sure if he should kiss her lightly on the soft spot on her radiant cheek, but he did want to. 'Well, there will hopefully be time for that, now is not the time and place' he thought to himself.
"Well, we should get going. You family is probably worried and wondering." Harry gulped. He had spent the night with Ginny. What would they think?
"I don't care" Ginny said defiantly. "They can think whatever they want to. I'm not ready to go home yet." She rested her head once more against Harry's chest, and Harry noticed how good it felt there, being so close to his heart. It seemed to warm his soul. Harry though about how, when around dementors, he felt he could never be cheerful again, with Ginny, he felt he could never be sad again. It was the most wonderful, soothing feeling.
"Well, I'm starving!" Exclaimed Harry. "Fancy Breakfast?"
"Of Course. I'm afraid I am not presentable!" Ginny laughed, trying to mat down her hair.
"Nonsense. You look beautiful." Harry proclaimed. He flushed a little; this was the first time he had said this to a woman and actually meant it.
A half an hour later, they were sitting at a dark table in the back of the Three Broomsticks, talking and laughing happily.
"Harry, honestly!" Ginny exclaimed. "How did you get 9 O.W.L.'s?"
"Well" said Harry mischievously "I'm just smarter than everyone."
"No, you are not, Mr. Potter." Ginny said humorously. " You are not smarter than me!"
Harry leaned back on his chair as the smile disappeared from his face. "I think," he said seriously, "that you are the smartest one of us all."
His eyes bore into her own. "What do you mean?" Ginny asked quietly.
"Even through everything, through all the terrible ordeals we have been forced to live through, you are the only one.." Harry paused. "You are the only one who still shines. You can still be happy. You can still laugh." Harry took a deep breath, and looked down at his hands. "That is greatest wisdom of all."
"Oh, Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, putting her hand on his. "I hurt and I cry like everyone else. But I move on. What else can I do?" Ginny's eyes were glazed with tears. "Sometimes it hurts to smile. But I do it. And every time I smile, it becomes a little easier." Ginny touched Harry's cheek gently. "We can't let them take our lives. We have to keep on living. If we stop living, then they have already won."
Harry leaned his face into Ginny's hand, and reached up to her hand with his own. "It's so hard." Harry said hoarsely. "I feel wrong being happy, when so many are dead."
"No, Harry." Ginny said gently. "They would have wanted you to be happy. Sirius, your parents- they died so that you could live and be happy."
Ginny noticed that her hand was wet. "I know. I try to be happy. To laugh. But it's hard."
Ginny sighed. "I know. It is for me too. But it'll get easier." Ginny paused and wiped his eyes. "It'll save you."
"No," Harry said quietly. "You'll save me. If anyone or anything can save me, you will."
Harry and Ginny spent the rest of the day enjoying themselves; careless and happy, as they should be. Harry wrote her an awful poem that she loved; Ginny sang to him in such a way that it made him cry. Neither wanted the day to end, but both knew that it must.
"Well, the sun's almost down." Ginny said. "I'd better be going."
"Yeah." Harry breathed. She looked so beautiful standing there, with her blue dress wrinkled, the evening sun shining on her wild hair which was streaked in front of her face, and the way her eyes glinted in the soft summer sun. "I'll see you later."
"Okay, Harry." Ginny said, smiling. She turned and began walking home.
Harry finally gave in. He had been dying to ask her all day, but he knew it would be fruitless. She couldn't possibly know that! Who would know something like that?
"Ginny," Harry said softly, suddenly, his sparkling eyes looking longingly into her own. "How long will it take?"
"Oh, Harry," Ginny breathed, being overcome with emotion. "It takes a lifetime. You've just got to have faith."
~to be continued~