Disclaimer/warning: the same disclaimers apply and the warning is that
this story is now post-book five so there will be some spoilers for that.
Chapter 6 A Bittersweet Night
Ginny smiled and finally focused on her surroundings to see her friends giving her strange looks. Harry looked concerned, the boy certainly worried a lot, Ginny thought absently and Ron looked miffed as he wiped his face off. That's right; she had sprayed him when she dropped her fork. Hermione just looked curious.
"Ginny, are you okay?" Harry asked.
"Or did you just klutz out?" Ron added.
She put on her most charming smile and answered them. "Yup, I'm just fine. I just dropped it. Must be my slippery fingers"
They all looked convinced at this and returned to eating. Harry did throw her an extra glance but she had returned to her own world and completely missed it.
Okay. So she had slept the whole day and she didn't have even one dream. The dreamless potion had definitely worn off earlier that morning; so did that mean Voldemort had decided to leave her alone? Were the dreams just a thing of the past? She certainly hoped so. She decided to test the theory tonight. Well that and she seriously doubted how tired she would be with all the sleep she did get. Slowly, all the chatter around her filtered into her thoughts, pulling her out and back into reality. Soon she found herself chatting merrily with Neville about their summers. The talk was light, the food delicious, and there were no new injuries to worry about hiding. All in all, Ginny found herself in a very good mood and she made no secret about it.
After Ginny dropped her fork, Harry had been trying to catch her eye but she never noticed. He desperately hoped she hadn't remembered something foul but he banished that thought when her melodious laughter interrupted his darker thoughts. With a shake of his head, he turned to Ron and Hermione. The rest of the meal proceeded without incident and before they knew it, the food vanished and they made the trek up to the common room. All the while, Harry looked for Ginny but when he didn't find her, he remembered she had to talk to Dumbledore. With a start, he realized he needed to be there too. He quickly turned back to attend the meeting, leaving Ron and Hermione arguing again, completely clueless of his departure.
When Harry made it to the headmaster's office, he found Ginny arguing with the Headmaster, slightly more energized than he had seen her in a long time. He quietly closed the door and slipped inside.
"But Professor, I really think it's unnecessary. With the potion being as nice and addictive as it is, and since I didn't have any dreams, I think it would be better if I didn't take it. Besides, I'm not really that tired. I probably won't get much sleep anyway," Ginny tried to convince him.
"That may be, but I would feel better if you had it with you so you at least have the option to take it. At this point, take it at your own discretion. I can't force you to do anything you don't want to do," Dumbledore finally said. As Ginny sighed, he continued on, finally recognizing Harry's presence. "Now, were you two able to begin working on controlling your powers, Miss Weasley?"
Ginny answered simply by holding out her hand and having a pillow soar across the room into her waiting hand. "Um, that's about all I can do, though," she said, the pride in her voice dropping to sheepishness. Both men chuckled at her and Harry couldn't help notice how cute she looked right then.
"We also reached the point of putting up a decent shield. I was able to break it, but I'm not sure how many others could break it," Harry added.
"I see," Dumbledore replied. "I would like you to come visit me every Monday and Wednesday when you classes are done. Initially, I would like to see Miss Weasley alone, but eventually, when you have reached similar levels, I would like to have this be a joint lesson."
"Okay. Thank you, Professor."
"You're very welcome, and Miss Weasley, please seriously consider taking the potion. We don't want you to get hurt, or worse."
"Yes, sir."
"Alright. You two better get going now. I dare say the professors are itching to get to class so I recommend you get some rest and enjoy the rest of the night."
"Okay. Thanks again, Professor." With that, both students were gone. Out in the hall, Harry turned to Ginny as they walked to the common room.
"Are you really thinking about not taking it?" Harry asked her.
"Yeah, I was but I really feel it's going to be a mute point. Since I got so much sleep today, I'm not tired at all."
"Alright. My last words of caution to you are these: don't destroy Dumbledore's office during your lessons."
"What?! But Harry, I thought that was the whole point of these lessons. My whole night is shot now."
Both laughed at the comment as they walked back. At some point, they lapsed into a comfortable silence and Harry draped his arm around her shoulders and hers came up to encircle his waist. Finally, they reached the portrait of the fat lady and Harry gave her shoulder a small squeeze before he let go. He certainly didn't expect the painful gasp she emitted at his actions. The fat lady looked ready to comment but Harry didn't give her a chance.
"Ginny? I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" he asked, slightly panicked.
"I'm fine. It's just a little sore still. Nothing too big. 'Toad'." The last was spoken to the portrait and she swung open, allowing them entrance to the common room. Harry turned to her as they walked in.
"Toad?" he asked.
"Yeah. The head boy picked it and, believe me, I'm more than willing to hex that boy into next week. I hope no one else realizes where it came from. Of all the things Ron remembers from his second year, he had to remember that. So, yes, you may say the password was created just for you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to retire to my room before I die of embarrassment, again." With that, she turned and ran up to her room.
Harry laughed and went up to his room where he found Ron waiting for him. He chuckled as Ron gave him a funny look. "You picked 'toad' for the password?"
"Oh, yeah. I thought it might be a fun thing for us since we'll be having a hard year with the NEWT's and all."
"So how many times did Ginny threaten you, as a result?"
"What makes you think she threatened me?" At Harry's disbelieving glare, Ron continued. "Okay, so she was less than thrilled. But it was amusing, though, wasn't it?"
Harry rolled his eyes and climbed into bed, exhaustion claiming him as he bid goodnight to Ron and fell asleep, hoping it would be a restful and uneventful night.
On the other side of the tower, Ginny sat by the window in her room. She gazed out over the tranquil grounds and let her mind wander. She was right in assuming she wouldn't be very tired. She wasn't. But she was bored. She tried thinking about her time at Hogwarts but that just led her to Voldemort and Harry. The former gave her chills to think about and she pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders. The latter was her best friend. Just thinking of Harry made her feel better. They had really grown close and she loved that. Wait, loved? She immediately shut down that train of thought. It had gotten her into trouble before and it would again. She really didn't need that now. She needed to remain friends with him and that kind of thinking had a way of destroying that. Sighing, she returned her thoughts and gaze back to the window and laid her head on the cool glass.
With a jolt, she looked around and found she had returned to the cursed manor. She quickly fought down the rising panic since it wouldn't do her any good. She was stuck unless someone was able to wake her up and Harry was in his room on the other side of the tower. Eventually, the voices she knew she would hear floated to her and it didn't bode well at all. She walked to the door and attempted to glean as much information as possible since that was the only option available.
"I don't like being blocked out. The girl is mine and I won't tolerate banishment like last night. Wormtail, has that family been dealt with yet? The Miller's, I believe it was?" Voldemort sneered.
"N, no, my Lord. Not yet. But I'm sure it's being done this instant," Wormtail said as he cowered away from the Dark Lord. Voldemort became livid and he sent his servant away to deal with it.
Ginny looked around, franticly trying to find a good hiding spot. She finally spotted the perfect one and ran for it; but she never made it. The doors flew open behind her and Wormtail paused a mere fraction of a second before his face lit up and his hand shot out, grabbing her firmly. Smiling, he dragged her into the room and presented her to Voldemort.
The Dark Lord sneered at her as he approached. "It's not nice to spy on others. I would have expected you to know that by now. Oh well. By the way, just so we are completely clear about it, you are mine. You will not shut me out like that. To make sure it doesn't happen again, the Miller's will die and it will be entirely your fault. If only you hadn't taken the potion and tried to shut me out, you may have been able to spare them. You angered me and I had to do something to make myself feel better. I'm sure you understand. So, before you go yelling and screaming at me for killing them, remember, I wouldn't have done it if you had visited me last night."
Ginny tried not to let the color drain from her face or her eyes widening, but she couldn't help it. She just knew Voldemort spoke the truth and she couldn't convince herself otherwise. She knew what he was like when he was angry, probably better than anyone, save Harry. She continued looking at Voldemort but she no longer saw him and he noticed her lack of concentration.
"Well, still being insolent, are you? I can fix that," he said as he brought the dagger up before her. He watched as her eyes finally focused on the knife, consequently widening in fear. Laughing cruelly, he continued. "Don't worry, my pet. I won't kill you. I just finished telling you that you were mine. I don't destroy my possessions. I just make sure they don't disobey me." As he finished talking, he brought the knife up to her shoulder and allowed the cool blade to slip into her shoulder, just beside her neck. His evil laughter filled the air and she saw him lick the blade clean of her blood as the room swirled out of focus, allowing her to leave the horrid manor.
Ginny blinked as she found herself back in her room, still sitting by the window. Voldemort's words still rang in her ears and she couldn't stand it. A family was dead because she selfishly sought after a good night's rest. On top of the guilt she felt coursing through her, she felt cold and very dirty. Voldemort had claimed her as his toy and that would haunt her, probably forever. Shuddering, she realized she couldn't keep it to herself. She had to find a way to ward off the cold seeping into her bones. She could think of only one friend who would be able to help her. Someone who wouldn't ask too many questions or try to push her one way or the other. So, stifling a sob and ignoring the pain in her shoulder, she climbed out of the window and ran out the door.
She quickly made her way to the seventh year boy's dormitory. Soon, the door stood in front of her and she tried to quietly open it, freezing as it creaked slightly. In the silence of the room, it sounded deafening but, to her relief, none of the boys moved. Just as she stepped foot in the room, her heart stopped again, as she heard a voice call out from one of the beds.
"Who's there? I should warn you I'm armed," Harry's voice called.
"It...it's me, Harry," Ginny choked out. In the moonlight streaming through one of the windows, she saw Harry immediately sit up and she made her way over to him. He moved over and gave her room in his bed as she climbed up and pulled the curtains closed. Harry cast a silencing charm around the bed so they could talk without fear of discovery or eavesdropping.
"Gin, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Harry asked as he pulled her into his arms. She simply cried and mumbled against him. Only a few words reached him and they were so disjointed that he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. In his desire to comfort her, he completely forgot about the pain in his scar that woke him rather violently. All he could think about was calming the young lady in his arms. Eventually, her sobs abated and she turned her head slightly so she wouldn't talk into his shoulder while still leaning against him.
"I know you and Professor Dumbledore told me to take the dreamless potion but I didn't feel the least bit tired. So, I sat in the window and began thinking about various things. I must have dosed off at some point because I found myself in the mansion, again." She shuddered and managed to get out the whole story when Harry gave her a reassuring squeeze. As she described it, tears pooled and slipped down her cheeks again.
Her story confirmed and explained why his scar hurt him so badly when he awoke, but it also made him furious. How dare Voldemort kill a family and blame it on her. She didn't deserve this and she certainly didn't cause it. But Harry was seeing red because of the last bit of the story. No one belittled her to a mere possession; no one! He tightened his arms around her as she finished her tale and desperately tried to calm down so he could help her.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I know you have a lot to deal with already. I...I think I just needed to tell someone," she said after they both regained some composure.
"Ginny, you know you can always come to me, I'm here to help. Speaking of which, you look like you have more on your mind. What is it? I thought we decided we would be completely open with each other now."
"It's just that...Well, that family is dead because of me. Even if I had gone straight to Dumbledore, he wouldn't have been able to do anything because there are so many Millers. I can't and won't take the potion again. I can't kill another family. Besides, Voldemort said he wouldn't kill me. I can live with a few cuts. I've done it already and I can keep doing it."
Harry gently pushed her back and cupped her head in his hand, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Ginny, you did not kill them. That was Voldemort. No, listen. He would have found another reason to kill them even if you hadn't taken the potion. Heck, that's only if he's in the mood to look for a reason and he usually doesn't even bother. You and everyone else have drilled it into my head that it's not my fault when Voldemort kills. The same is true for you. You didn't kill them anymore then I killed Cedric and Sirius and the others. Ginny, by not taking the potion, you play right into his hands. I don't care if he promised not to kill you. He's really not very good at keeping those kinds of promises and you just can't take many more cuts. Nor should you have to," he concluded, with his voice not much louder than a whisper.
He watched as a few silent tears leaked out and fell down her cheeks. He brushed them away with his thumb and moved his hand down to the base of her neck. There he found her hair to be wet and sticky. Pulling his hand away, he found it covered in her blood.
Ginny tried to relax into his embrace as his hand moved and comforted her. She was slightly confused, though, as he pulled his hand back and it was covered in a crimson liquid. Suddenly, the pain came crashing back to her as she remembered just where Voldemort cut her this time. Her pain-filled eyes rose to meet Harry's worried ones.
"Oh Gin. We can't let him keep doing this to you. It's insane and he's getting too close to major arteries," he said as he flipped his wrist and his hand was magically cleaned. He gently moved her hair and allowed his magic to clean up the rest of her wound and shoulder, though not healing it completely.
Ginny watched and whispered a quiet thank you to him when he was done before she curled up in his arms, careful of her tender injuries. She felt better having talked to Harry, but she still didn't feel strong or warm enough to leave him yet. Besides, he didn't seem to mind too much as he leaned back on his bed. Soon, both teenagers fell asleep, comforted by the other. That night, they slept better than either of them had in a very long time.
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A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long to get out. I know I promised it would be out at least a week ago but school kept me busier than I thought. I will try to get the chapters out as soon as possible and thank you so much for bearing with me.
I also want to thank everyone who has reviewed thus far as you guys totally make my day when I read them. Please keep reviewing and if there is anything you see that needs to be changed, or your not sure of, please let me know (nicely, preferably). So, let me know what you think.
'Til next time.
Chapter 6 A Bittersweet Night
Ginny smiled and finally focused on her surroundings to see her friends giving her strange looks. Harry looked concerned, the boy certainly worried a lot, Ginny thought absently and Ron looked miffed as he wiped his face off. That's right; she had sprayed him when she dropped her fork. Hermione just looked curious.
"Ginny, are you okay?" Harry asked.
"Or did you just klutz out?" Ron added.
She put on her most charming smile and answered them. "Yup, I'm just fine. I just dropped it. Must be my slippery fingers"
They all looked convinced at this and returned to eating. Harry did throw her an extra glance but she had returned to her own world and completely missed it.
Okay. So she had slept the whole day and she didn't have even one dream. The dreamless potion had definitely worn off earlier that morning; so did that mean Voldemort had decided to leave her alone? Were the dreams just a thing of the past? She certainly hoped so. She decided to test the theory tonight. Well that and she seriously doubted how tired she would be with all the sleep she did get. Slowly, all the chatter around her filtered into her thoughts, pulling her out and back into reality. Soon she found herself chatting merrily with Neville about their summers. The talk was light, the food delicious, and there were no new injuries to worry about hiding. All in all, Ginny found herself in a very good mood and she made no secret about it.
After Ginny dropped her fork, Harry had been trying to catch her eye but she never noticed. He desperately hoped she hadn't remembered something foul but he banished that thought when her melodious laughter interrupted his darker thoughts. With a shake of his head, he turned to Ron and Hermione. The rest of the meal proceeded without incident and before they knew it, the food vanished and they made the trek up to the common room. All the while, Harry looked for Ginny but when he didn't find her, he remembered she had to talk to Dumbledore. With a start, he realized he needed to be there too. He quickly turned back to attend the meeting, leaving Ron and Hermione arguing again, completely clueless of his departure.
When Harry made it to the headmaster's office, he found Ginny arguing with the Headmaster, slightly more energized than he had seen her in a long time. He quietly closed the door and slipped inside.
"But Professor, I really think it's unnecessary. With the potion being as nice and addictive as it is, and since I didn't have any dreams, I think it would be better if I didn't take it. Besides, I'm not really that tired. I probably won't get much sleep anyway," Ginny tried to convince him.
"That may be, but I would feel better if you had it with you so you at least have the option to take it. At this point, take it at your own discretion. I can't force you to do anything you don't want to do," Dumbledore finally said. As Ginny sighed, he continued on, finally recognizing Harry's presence. "Now, were you two able to begin working on controlling your powers, Miss Weasley?"
Ginny answered simply by holding out her hand and having a pillow soar across the room into her waiting hand. "Um, that's about all I can do, though," she said, the pride in her voice dropping to sheepishness. Both men chuckled at her and Harry couldn't help notice how cute she looked right then.
"We also reached the point of putting up a decent shield. I was able to break it, but I'm not sure how many others could break it," Harry added.
"I see," Dumbledore replied. "I would like you to come visit me every Monday and Wednesday when you classes are done. Initially, I would like to see Miss Weasley alone, but eventually, when you have reached similar levels, I would like to have this be a joint lesson."
"Okay. Thank you, Professor."
"You're very welcome, and Miss Weasley, please seriously consider taking the potion. We don't want you to get hurt, or worse."
"Yes, sir."
"Alright. You two better get going now. I dare say the professors are itching to get to class so I recommend you get some rest and enjoy the rest of the night."
"Okay. Thanks again, Professor." With that, both students were gone. Out in the hall, Harry turned to Ginny as they walked to the common room.
"Are you really thinking about not taking it?" Harry asked her.
"Yeah, I was but I really feel it's going to be a mute point. Since I got so much sleep today, I'm not tired at all."
"Alright. My last words of caution to you are these: don't destroy Dumbledore's office during your lessons."
"What?! But Harry, I thought that was the whole point of these lessons. My whole night is shot now."
Both laughed at the comment as they walked back. At some point, they lapsed into a comfortable silence and Harry draped his arm around her shoulders and hers came up to encircle his waist. Finally, they reached the portrait of the fat lady and Harry gave her shoulder a small squeeze before he let go. He certainly didn't expect the painful gasp she emitted at his actions. The fat lady looked ready to comment but Harry didn't give her a chance.
"Ginny? I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" he asked, slightly panicked.
"I'm fine. It's just a little sore still. Nothing too big. 'Toad'." The last was spoken to the portrait and she swung open, allowing them entrance to the common room. Harry turned to her as they walked in.
"Toad?" he asked.
"Yeah. The head boy picked it and, believe me, I'm more than willing to hex that boy into next week. I hope no one else realizes where it came from. Of all the things Ron remembers from his second year, he had to remember that. So, yes, you may say the password was created just for you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to retire to my room before I die of embarrassment, again." With that, she turned and ran up to her room.
Harry laughed and went up to his room where he found Ron waiting for him. He chuckled as Ron gave him a funny look. "You picked 'toad' for the password?"
"Oh, yeah. I thought it might be a fun thing for us since we'll be having a hard year with the NEWT's and all."
"So how many times did Ginny threaten you, as a result?"
"What makes you think she threatened me?" At Harry's disbelieving glare, Ron continued. "Okay, so she was less than thrilled. But it was amusing, though, wasn't it?"
Harry rolled his eyes and climbed into bed, exhaustion claiming him as he bid goodnight to Ron and fell asleep, hoping it would be a restful and uneventful night.
On the other side of the tower, Ginny sat by the window in her room. She gazed out over the tranquil grounds and let her mind wander. She was right in assuming she wouldn't be very tired. She wasn't. But she was bored. She tried thinking about her time at Hogwarts but that just led her to Voldemort and Harry. The former gave her chills to think about and she pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders. The latter was her best friend. Just thinking of Harry made her feel better. They had really grown close and she loved that. Wait, loved? She immediately shut down that train of thought. It had gotten her into trouble before and it would again. She really didn't need that now. She needed to remain friends with him and that kind of thinking had a way of destroying that. Sighing, she returned her thoughts and gaze back to the window and laid her head on the cool glass.
With a jolt, she looked around and found she had returned to the cursed manor. She quickly fought down the rising panic since it wouldn't do her any good. She was stuck unless someone was able to wake her up and Harry was in his room on the other side of the tower. Eventually, the voices she knew she would hear floated to her and it didn't bode well at all. She walked to the door and attempted to glean as much information as possible since that was the only option available.
"I don't like being blocked out. The girl is mine and I won't tolerate banishment like last night. Wormtail, has that family been dealt with yet? The Miller's, I believe it was?" Voldemort sneered.
"N, no, my Lord. Not yet. But I'm sure it's being done this instant," Wormtail said as he cowered away from the Dark Lord. Voldemort became livid and he sent his servant away to deal with it.
Ginny looked around, franticly trying to find a good hiding spot. She finally spotted the perfect one and ran for it; but she never made it. The doors flew open behind her and Wormtail paused a mere fraction of a second before his face lit up and his hand shot out, grabbing her firmly. Smiling, he dragged her into the room and presented her to Voldemort.
The Dark Lord sneered at her as he approached. "It's not nice to spy on others. I would have expected you to know that by now. Oh well. By the way, just so we are completely clear about it, you are mine. You will not shut me out like that. To make sure it doesn't happen again, the Miller's will die and it will be entirely your fault. If only you hadn't taken the potion and tried to shut me out, you may have been able to spare them. You angered me and I had to do something to make myself feel better. I'm sure you understand. So, before you go yelling and screaming at me for killing them, remember, I wouldn't have done it if you had visited me last night."
Ginny tried not to let the color drain from her face or her eyes widening, but she couldn't help it. She just knew Voldemort spoke the truth and she couldn't convince herself otherwise. She knew what he was like when he was angry, probably better than anyone, save Harry. She continued looking at Voldemort but she no longer saw him and he noticed her lack of concentration.
"Well, still being insolent, are you? I can fix that," he said as he brought the dagger up before her. He watched as her eyes finally focused on the knife, consequently widening in fear. Laughing cruelly, he continued. "Don't worry, my pet. I won't kill you. I just finished telling you that you were mine. I don't destroy my possessions. I just make sure they don't disobey me." As he finished talking, he brought the knife up to her shoulder and allowed the cool blade to slip into her shoulder, just beside her neck. His evil laughter filled the air and she saw him lick the blade clean of her blood as the room swirled out of focus, allowing her to leave the horrid manor.
Ginny blinked as she found herself back in her room, still sitting by the window. Voldemort's words still rang in her ears and she couldn't stand it. A family was dead because she selfishly sought after a good night's rest. On top of the guilt she felt coursing through her, she felt cold and very dirty. Voldemort had claimed her as his toy and that would haunt her, probably forever. Shuddering, she realized she couldn't keep it to herself. She had to find a way to ward off the cold seeping into her bones. She could think of only one friend who would be able to help her. Someone who wouldn't ask too many questions or try to push her one way or the other. So, stifling a sob and ignoring the pain in her shoulder, she climbed out of the window and ran out the door.
She quickly made her way to the seventh year boy's dormitory. Soon, the door stood in front of her and she tried to quietly open it, freezing as it creaked slightly. In the silence of the room, it sounded deafening but, to her relief, none of the boys moved. Just as she stepped foot in the room, her heart stopped again, as she heard a voice call out from one of the beds.
"Who's there? I should warn you I'm armed," Harry's voice called.
"It...it's me, Harry," Ginny choked out. In the moonlight streaming through one of the windows, she saw Harry immediately sit up and she made her way over to him. He moved over and gave her room in his bed as she climbed up and pulled the curtains closed. Harry cast a silencing charm around the bed so they could talk without fear of discovery or eavesdropping.
"Gin, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Harry asked as he pulled her into his arms. She simply cried and mumbled against him. Only a few words reached him and they were so disjointed that he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. In his desire to comfort her, he completely forgot about the pain in his scar that woke him rather violently. All he could think about was calming the young lady in his arms. Eventually, her sobs abated and she turned her head slightly so she wouldn't talk into his shoulder while still leaning against him.
"I know you and Professor Dumbledore told me to take the dreamless potion but I didn't feel the least bit tired. So, I sat in the window and began thinking about various things. I must have dosed off at some point because I found myself in the mansion, again." She shuddered and managed to get out the whole story when Harry gave her a reassuring squeeze. As she described it, tears pooled and slipped down her cheeks again.
Her story confirmed and explained why his scar hurt him so badly when he awoke, but it also made him furious. How dare Voldemort kill a family and blame it on her. She didn't deserve this and she certainly didn't cause it. But Harry was seeing red because of the last bit of the story. No one belittled her to a mere possession; no one! He tightened his arms around her as she finished her tale and desperately tried to calm down so he could help her.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I know you have a lot to deal with already. I...I think I just needed to tell someone," she said after they both regained some composure.
"Ginny, you know you can always come to me, I'm here to help. Speaking of which, you look like you have more on your mind. What is it? I thought we decided we would be completely open with each other now."
"It's just that...Well, that family is dead because of me. Even if I had gone straight to Dumbledore, he wouldn't have been able to do anything because there are so many Millers. I can't and won't take the potion again. I can't kill another family. Besides, Voldemort said he wouldn't kill me. I can live with a few cuts. I've done it already and I can keep doing it."
Harry gently pushed her back and cupped her head in his hand, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Ginny, you did not kill them. That was Voldemort. No, listen. He would have found another reason to kill them even if you hadn't taken the potion. Heck, that's only if he's in the mood to look for a reason and he usually doesn't even bother. You and everyone else have drilled it into my head that it's not my fault when Voldemort kills. The same is true for you. You didn't kill them anymore then I killed Cedric and Sirius and the others. Ginny, by not taking the potion, you play right into his hands. I don't care if he promised not to kill you. He's really not very good at keeping those kinds of promises and you just can't take many more cuts. Nor should you have to," he concluded, with his voice not much louder than a whisper.
He watched as a few silent tears leaked out and fell down her cheeks. He brushed them away with his thumb and moved his hand down to the base of her neck. There he found her hair to be wet and sticky. Pulling his hand away, he found it covered in her blood.
Ginny tried to relax into his embrace as his hand moved and comforted her. She was slightly confused, though, as he pulled his hand back and it was covered in a crimson liquid. Suddenly, the pain came crashing back to her as she remembered just where Voldemort cut her this time. Her pain-filled eyes rose to meet Harry's worried ones.
"Oh Gin. We can't let him keep doing this to you. It's insane and he's getting too close to major arteries," he said as he flipped his wrist and his hand was magically cleaned. He gently moved her hair and allowed his magic to clean up the rest of her wound and shoulder, though not healing it completely.
Ginny watched and whispered a quiet thank you to him when he was done before she curled up in his arms, careful of her tender injuries. She felt better having talked to Harry, but she still didn't feel strong or warm enough to leave him yet. Besides, he didn't seem to mind too much as he leaned back on his bed. Soon, both teenagers fell asleep, comforted by the other. That night, they slept better than either of them had in a very long time.
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A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long to get out. I know I promised it would be out at least a week ago but school kept me busier than I thought. I will try to get the chapters out as soon as possible and thank you so much for bearing with me.
I also want to thank everyone who has reviewed thus far as you guys totally make my day when I read them. Please keep reviewing and if there is anything you see that needs to be changed, or your not sure of, please let me know (nicely, preferably). So, let me know what you think.
'Til next time.