Disclaimer: I own nothing that belongs to the Harry Potter Universe. You Raise Me Up belongs to Josh Groban. All I own is the plot. However, I warn you that it is cliché, but I think it's pretty good. Enjoy.
* * *
When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.
* * *
Summer before Harry's 6th Year
Dinner was a quiet affair at the Weasleys' table that night. Harry gloomily pushed the mashed potatoes around on his plate. A cloud of unhappiness and weariness had settled permanently upon his soul. Nothing made him smile and nobody had yet been able to break him out the funk he was currently in. Mrs. Weasley fussed over him protectively, giving him extra helpings of food and trying to defend him from the twins. Fred and George's attempts to cheer him up had failed, but they never did give up trying. Ron's and Hermione's worried glances had gone unnoticed by him, unwilling to acknowledge anything or anyone.
Sirius is gone, was all that Harry could think of. And it's all my fault, he thought desperately, fighting to keep down the choked feeling that filled his throat. If only… Despair engulfed his entire body and he couldn't stand the cheerfulness of the kitchen any longer. He pushed his chair back abruptly and stood up. Heads snapped to attention at the movement.
"I'm sorry, I need to--" he stammered, and ran from the room. He burst out the door and ran away to the grassy field behind the haphazard-looking house. He collapsed on the ground and buried his head into his arms and let go. Strange choking sounds escaped his mouth, he wasn't even sure that it could be called crying.
After what seemed like forever, Harry finally raised his head to the sound of footsteps approaching. He sat upright, furiously wiping the tears off his face.
"Who's there?" he asked loudly. A faint smell of jasmine accompanied the slender figure that sat down next to him.
"No need to snap, Harry, it's only me," said the girl. He sighed. "I just came out to check on you."
"Thanks, Ginny," he apologized. "But you didn't need to." In the dim light of the setting sun, he saw her face cloud over with anger. But her voice was not sharp, but held a firm tone in it.
"I did need to, Harry," she said, tossing her red hair over her shoulder. It glinted with fire from the sunset. "You can't just push us all away from you. Believe it or not, you need us."
"What does it matter anymore?" he asked, looking down at the ground angrily. Pain filled him again, making him shake.
"What does it matter?" she exclaimed. "What matters is you're worrying my mother sick, she loves you like a son, Harry, and you don't even care. What matters is that Ron, who is supposed to be your friend, is completely ignored by you, as is Hermione. What matters is that you obviously don't know the meaning of friendship. Harry, life isn't meant to be lived alone. Even though Sirius is gone, we are still here, and we aren't going to leave you. You need to get that fact through your thick head. We are here to help, and you are supposed to let us."
"Why can't you understand that all of this is my fault? You all got hurt by my stupidity, and Sirius is dead, because I couldn't tell the difference between a dream and reality," he shouted.
"It's not your fault, Harry," Ginny tried again, but he cut her off.
"It is so my fault. If I hadn't gone down to the Department of Mysteries, none of this would have happened," he shot at her. She sighed.
"All right, you win Harry. It is all your fault," she said, throwing up her hands in defeat. He gaped at her. "You killed Cedric, and Sirius. It's all your fault Muggles are tortured by Death-Eaters, it's your fault my leg was broken, and Ron was hurt, and Hermione cursed. You did it all. And since we're on the subject, it was also my fault that the Chamber of Secrets was opened, and Hermione, Justin, Colin, Penelope, Nick, and Mrs. Norris were petrified. It was my fault that they almost got killed. It was my fault that Voldemort nearly came back. It was my fault that you were almost killed by the basilisk."
Harry shook his head furiously. "Voldemort took over your mind, that wasn't you." Ginny smiled.
"What makes you think you were any different?" she asked quietly. Shocked silence filled the air between them. "You weren't possessed Harry, but Voldemort did fill your mind with things that you never would have put there. All you did was act out of love, Harry. Life is made up of choices. You could have ignored the dream and stayed here, but you chose not to take that chance and to save the person you loved the most. It is your fault that you care for people. A wonderful fault. But Harry, Sirius could have chose to stay behind and let Dumbledore and the Aurors handle the situation. But he didn't because he loved you." Harry tried to protest, but Ginny held up her hand. He fell silent, determined to understand what she was saying.
"Just listen to me," she said. "He loved you so much he gave up his life for you. Don't you think you're doing an injustice to his memory by letting your life go by? I know that he wants you to be happy. And we're back to choices: you can be happy or you can't, but I can guarantee you'll wish you were happy in the long run. Choices are everything, Harry. We didn't have to come and help you, but we chose to because we care about you Harry. Bellatrix and Malfoy could have chosen not to follow Lord Voldemort, but they didn't, did they? What they chose to do and the consequences that came from that choice is their fault. None of this is your fault. And you can choose to believe that or not, it's up to you."
Harry felt an incredible burden lift off his shoulders. It made sense coming from Ginny's mouth. After all, she knew more than anyone about what he was going through. Ginny moved as if to leave, but suddenly she slipped her arm around Harry's shoulders and gave him a hug. She stood up, but Harry caught her hand.
"Ginny, I-I just wanted to tell you, that I'm sorry for the way I've treated everyone and you. It just really hurts," he finished lamely. She smiled gently and rested her hand on his shoulder.
"I still feel guilty about what happened in my first year," she confessed. "I could have chosen to burn the diary, but I didn't. I could have chosen not to write in after it wrote back, but I didn't. The guilt is still here, but the key is not letting it consume you. Good night, Harry." The smell of jasmine once again filled the air around him from her movement and Harry grinned for the first time in a long time.
* * *
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up to more than I can be.
* * *
Middle of Harry's 7th Year and Ginny's 6th
Harry headed toward lunch, stomach growling from the lack of food. An inkling of doubt and dread occupied a small corner of his mind. But he was determined not to let it distract him too much. It was imperative that he learn as much as possible. He knew the final battle would be soon, he could feel it. However, he was happier than he ever thought possible. The reason was a certain red-haired female of his acquaintance. She managed to cheer him up most of the time and kept him level-headed.
"Harry!" a voice called him. He turned around to see Ginny fighting to make her way through the crowd to him. He admired the mane of red hair adorning her face and immediately cast that thought out of his mind. It would not do to think of her this way. He knew she was completely over him and did not feel the same way he thought he felt about her. He waited until she caught up with him and they headed to the table they normally ate at. She sat down next to him and yawned widely.
"Where are Ron and Hermione?" he asked, through a mouthful of pasta. She shot a look of disgust at him, but then grinned.
"Prefect business, or so they say," she said, slyly. Harry caught her meaning and they both laughed heartily. Ron and Hermione had finally admitted their feelings toward each other and took every opportunity to be alone. That meant that Harry and Ginny depended on each other for company most of the time. It was in this way that he finally was able to know her better and to care for her more than he thought possible.
Ginny yawned again and laid her head against Harry's shoulder. Harry felt his heart thump a furious beat and he willed himself to ignore her wonderful scent. He glanced down worriedly at her closed eyes. Her skin was pale and her face was wan. It wasn't like her to be so non-vibrant. He slipped his arm around her in what he believed to be a friendly manner although he sure didn't feel that way.
"Gin, you okay? You look kind of sick," he told her. She looked up and smiled weakly.
"I'm having nightmares again and I can't sleep. Harry, I can feel it's going to happen soon," she said, and seeing his look of horror, realization dawned on her. "Harry, you feel it too, don't you?" He nodded slowly.
He leaned down close to her ear, "You remember how I told you guys about the prophecy Dumbledore told me in my fifth year?" She nodded. "I know it's going to happen soon." Her face fell and fright filled her face.
"Oh Harry," she said, quietly. "What'll I do without you if something happens?" Hope filled his chest. Maybe there was a chance of her caring for him.
"It's not a happy time is it?" he said, wistfully. "I wish you and everybody else didn't have to go through this."
"Well, it has to be done, doesn't it?" she said, solemnly. "It's up to us to make sure the next generation doesn't have to grow up in fear."
"When did you become so wise?" Harry asked, attempting to lighten the mood. He chucked her under the chin. "What happened to my cute Ginny and her crush? Remember that Valentine?" She smiled and then blushed.
"I was so embarrassed!" she giggled and then sobered down again. "Wars happened and Tom Riddle happened to her. Cute Ginny grew up, Harry. Her crush went away." She sighed and looked away. These words caused Harry's stomach to drop painfully. Her crush was gone and she surely didn't care about him in the way he hoped she did. He pretended not to show that this affected him.
"I promise you that I won't let anyone hurt you Ginny," he said, earnestly. She shook her head.
"Don't make promises like that Harry," she admonished. "Promise me, that when the time comes, you'll make the right choice and no matter what happens, you'll remember who you are." She stood up and dropped a light kiss on the top of his head.
"I'll see you later," she said, and left him to his swirling thoughts.
* * *
There is no life – no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.
* * *
End of Harry's 7th Year
Cries and wailing filled the halls at Hogwarts. It had begun. The last battle between Lord Voldemort and the Boy-Who-Lived was beginning. Harry Potter and the remaining members of the D.A. at Hogwarts made ready to head to the village of Hogsmeade where Aurors and all able-bodied wizards and witches were fighting against Death-Eaters and Voldemort's army of evil creatures that he had called to his aid.
Dumbledore and the teachers had left before to join the people at Hogsmeade. Ginny, being skilled in healing, had been elected to stay behind despite her protests and desire to fight. Angry tears had been defeated and she accepted to stay. She was herding the younger years to the safety of the lower dungeons, soothing them and calming them with her voice. The children listened obediently to her, trusting her to take care of them.
Harry was at the front doors of the castle ready to walk down to the village when a voice cried out to him. He whirled and saw Ginny running towards him. He fought his way through the crowd to her. She threw herself into his arms and hugged him fiercely, tears streaking her face.
"Ginny, you can't come," he whispered, holding her against him, fighting to stay calm. "You need to stay here and take care of the ones here." She nodded.
"I know and I promise to stay," she choked, holding on to him tightly. "Harry, promise me you'll come back to me." He looked at her helplessly.
"Ginny, I have to go," he said, trying to avoid an answer. She held him tighter.
"Promise me!" she whispered, desperately. He nodded, burying his face into her hair and inhaling her trademark scent of jasmine.
"I promise," he said. He felt her press a piece of parchment into his hand. He looked down at it questioningly. She shook her head.
"Read it before you reach Hogsmeade," she said, tears shining in her eyes. "I have to go back, they'll need me. GO!" He sprinted out the door and caught up with his schoolmates. He opened the paper and skimmed the contents. Her handwriting was hurried and small.
Dear Harry,
Words must seem so trivial at a moment like this—I hardly know what to say. I wish I had words of wisdom to give you; words that would help you win this battle. I have to say something to you and I can't quite find the best way to say it. Pouring out my soul to you on this piece of paper has been one of the hardest things for me to do after what happened—well, you know. But it is important that you know how I feel.
Harry, I love you. I have for as long as I can remember. Do you remember how I told you a while back that I had grown up and my crush on you had long since been gone? That much was true. I didn't tell you how that crush developed into something so much deeper and finer.
I was in love with the storybook hero Harry Potter at first, but after you saved me and after I saw how human you really were, I fell in love with you, Harry Potter with the messy black hair, and green eyes. I fell in love with the real boy who cheats on Divination homework and loves Quidditch. The Harry Potter who can't dance and loves Chocolate Frogs. That's the Harry Potter you are to me. No childish hero-worshipping for Virginia Weasley.
I gave up hoping that you would someday care the same way that I cared about you and I hoped that I would be able to get over you. But here I am and my feelings haven't changed a bloody bit. I needed to get this off my chest and to let you know before anything else happened.
Do you remember how I told you that choices were everything? Well, you had better choose to fight with every fiber of your being and come back to me, or I'll hex you and my Bat-Bogey isn't pretty.
Harry, no matter how you feel about me, I want you to know that I will always love you, no matter what happens in the end. Remember that and remember me.
Come back to me.
With all my love,
Ginny
Harry let out a shuddering sigh of relief and despite the dire circumstances surrounding them, felt the urge to leap into the air and yell with joy. They were approaching the village and he looked around to see his classmates steeling themselves for the fight, determination fixed on their faces. He heard the evil laughter from Voldemort's followers and he knew that Voldemort was waiting for him. He clenched his wand in his fist and pictured Ginny in his mind. Drawing strength from her love, he marched forward to meet his destiny.
* * *
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up to more than I can be.
* * *
Three Years Later
"…We are pleased to award Mr. Harry Potter, for his service in the wizarding world in the defeat of L-Lord V-Voldemort, this the Order of Merlin, First Class."
Harry smiled at the stammering from saying the Dark Lord's name. Even still, the name struck fear and old habits were hard to change. He stood up and walked to the podium, and accepted the plaque that bore his name. He looked across at the vast crowd of people at the ceremony. He found the row of red-heads below him and caught Ginny's eye and winked at her. He saw her lips mouth I love you. He nodded and grinned.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot tell you how much I am honored to receive this award. But I would be dishonest if I did not tell you the truth. Someone once told me that life wasn't meant to be lived alone and I can honestly tell you that I would not be here today if it wasn't for my friends…" here he paused and grinned at Ron and Hermione, and the entire Weasley family, "…and my wife, Ginny, whom I love with all my heart."
"It was they who believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself. They pushed me to be my very best and it is them that I honor. It is for them that I accept this award. Thank you again." He made his way off the stage to a storm of thundering applause. Everyone was on his or her feet cheering and shouting in celebration.
Ginny met him at the bottom and he wrapped her tightly in his arms. Love and joy shone in her eyes and she leaned up towards him.
"I love you, Ginny Weasley," he whispered, before bending down to catch her lips in a fervent kiss. She broke away, breathless.
"No," she shook her head firmly, slipping her arms around his neck. "Ginny Potter and don't you ever forget it."
* * *
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up to more than I can be.
* * *
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A/N- Did you like it? It made me cry while I was writing it. Please review and tell me what you thought. It would make my day.
Thanks to those who reviewed Hello Again:
Hermione30: I love you, babe, thanks for reviewing! I almost cried too. Pathetic I know.
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the-love-of-ron: I have the love of Ron too, and Harry!
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Line-from Denmark: I find short stories much easier to write! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
