Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Harry stilled when he heard the news.
"Lian's brother?" he repeated Ian nodded but waved it off immediately. He didn't want to linger to the subject as long as it should have.
"In any case, Voldemort is being revived."
"How?" Harry asked.
"They were regenerating his lost arm in a regeneration chamber," Ian said. "I managed to destroy the chamber but I did not retrieve the hand. Pettigrew blasted me with the killing curse before I had my hands on it." Harry could hear the pain in his voice. The disappointment upon himself.
"At least you bought us time," Alex said as he leaned on the wall.
"Right," Ian smirked in disgust. "It should have been over by now but I let my carelessness get the better of me."
"You cannot blame yourself," Harry said in sympathy.
"Harry," Ian sighed. "If I had done my job as I had supposed to, you'd be planning your wedding just about now." Alex snickered but a hard frown from Ian made him stop.
"Ian, I appreciate your concern," Harry smiled. "It's not your fault," he said it in a more softer tone. "It's never anyone's fault. It's all my..." Ian suddenly grabbed Harry on the shoulder and squeezed his thumb on his collarbone. Harry flinched in pain and looked at Ian's serious face.
"If you say that it was your fault, Virginia will be the one of the youngest widows on Earth," Ian said with spite. But Harry could feel something else: Understanding. Smirking, Harry took out his wand and pointed it at his nether regions.
"If you continue to blame yourself, you won't be a whole man anymore," they both chuckled and Ian released his grip on the boy. Harry hid his wand and smiled.
"I see we have come to an understanding," Ian said. "Let's just say this screw up will hit me like a tone of bricks sooner or later."
"I will not say that," Harry said. "We all screwed up in one time or another. It's how you live with that mistake that matters."
"I would have said it a little more blunt," Alex smirked and looked at the two.
"You would, wouldn't you?" Ian frowned. Before he could add to his insult, Ian heard a wince of pain and immediately went into the infirmary.
"Are you all right, Lady Chang?" Ian asked as he felt his way towards Cho's bed.
"Just pulling myself together," Cho smiled. She looked at Ian intently and smiled softly. He was smiling like he had found peace within himself. Then, he laughed.
"I just got that," he said. "That was nice."
"A miracle had happened," Alex said as he stood by Cho's side.
"What miracle?" Harry asked.
"Ian never laughs," Alex said in a serious tone. "This is the first time I've heard him do so." Ian was suddenly silent, his smile had gone as well. He suddenly walked to his bed and lay down.
"I'm going back to sleep," Ian said as he closed his eyes. Cho smiled sadly and lied down as well.
"Well, I see that you need your rest Ian," Harry said as he glared at Alex. "Alex shrugged in his accusation but started to walk for the exit. "We'll talk in another time." Harry smiled and left the infirmary.
Ian heard the footsteps of his guests and followed them until they were out of the vicinity. Only then did he open his eyes and turned his head at Cho. He sensed that she was looking at him and gave her a shy smile.
"Thank you," Ian said. Cho was bewildered at his sudden admission of thanks.
"What for?" she asked.
"Alex was right," he said sullenly. "I haven't laughed in a long time if ever at all. Thank you for reminding me what it's like to laugh."
"Don't worry about it," she said and looked up to the ceiling. "I like seeing people smile."
"And I love hearing the hearts of the people who cared," Ian said. Cho looked at him in confusion but he shrugged. "It's a blind thing"
"How long have you been blind anyway?" she asked.
"A week," he said. "But I already like hearing you in every way." Cho blushed and smiled at him.
"I hope your eyes get better," she said sincerely.
Ian looked at the ceiling and smiled.
*** ***
"What's taking him so long?" Ginny asked as she paced around the living room, making its other occupants rather annoyed.
"It's just noon," Shiva busied herself in a book not really wanting to see Ginny walk around like that, it was giving her a headache. Ginny sighed and grabbed her necklace. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Shiva smiled as she felt the pure bliss emanating from Ginny.
"Every time you touch it you feel like you're close to him?" she asked. Ginny blushed and nodded.
"Are there the only ones in existence?" Ginny asked.
"That I know of," Shiva nodded. "Lian had it custom made by the woodland elves. It's quite rare." Ginny nodded and smiled.
"I'll be outside," Ginny said and walked towards the garden.
She never told anyone in her family save for Ron about the ring in her necklace. It was a gift to her from Shiva, and she treasured it for eternity.
Because Harry had its mate.
A gift to him from Lian.
When ever she felt alone she would hold the ring in her hand and closed her eyes. It was like she felt him close to her. And now she wanted to feel him.
She stood out in the garden and held the ring close to her. She closed her eyes and thought of Harry.
Funny thing though, she suddenly felt him placing his arms ever so slowly on her waist. Crawling from her back down to the front. She then felt him rest his chin on her shoulder. She shuddered on the contact and sighed.
She felt him blowing gently breaths on her neck and nape, tickling her sending her to a place of bliss.
"Harry," she moaned as she felt a pair of lips touch her neck.
"Yes?" he answered.
Ginny suddenly opened her eyes and turned to look at Harry's grinning face. He blinked at her confusion. Ginny's heart raced as she saw him there.
"Surprised?" he asked unsurely. Ginny growled and hit him on the shoulder.
"Do not sneak up on me like that!" she shouted. Harry laughed and released her.
"You weren't complaining earlier," he defended. "In fact it seemed like you were in a world of your own."
"You scared me half to death!" she raved as she caught her breath.
"Funny. You didn't look scared a moment ago," he teased.
"If I get my hands on you..." Ginny started forward but Harry already ran, laughing, into the house.
Ginny shook her head and smiled. She really needed to remember why she was marrying him. But there was no other answer than what she had.
Ginny loved Harry.
End of 7
Harry stilled when he heard the news.
"Lian's brother?" he repeated Ian nodded but waved it off immediately. He didn't want to linger to the subject as long as it should have.
"In any case, Voldemort is being revived."
"How?" Harry asked.
"They were regenerating his lost arm in a regeneration chamber," Ian said. "I managed to destroy the chamber but I did not retrieve the hand. Pettigrew blasted me with the killing curse before I had my hands on it." Harry could hear the pain in his voice. The disappointment upon himself.
"At least you bought us time," Alex said as he leaned on the wall.
"Right," Ian smirked in disgust. "It should have been over by now but I let my carelessness get the better of me."
"You cannot blame yourself," Harry said in sympathy.
"Harry," Ian sighed. "If I had done my job as I had supposed to, you'd be planning your wedding just about now." Alex snickered but a hard frown from Ian made him stop.
"Ian, I appreciate your concern," Harry smiled. "It's not your fault," he said it in a more softer tone. "It's never anyone's fault. It's all my..." Ian suddenly grabbed Harry on the shoulder and squeezed his thumb on his collarbone. Harry flinched in pain and looked at Ian's serious face.
"If you say that it was your fault, Virginia will be the one of the youngest widows on Earth," Ian said with spite. But Harry could feel something else: Understanding. Smirking, Harry took out his wand and pointed it at his nether regions.
"If you continue to blame yourself, you won't be a whole man anymore," they both chuckled and Ian released his grip on the boy. Harry hid his wand and smiled.
"I see we have come to an understanding," Ian said. "Let's just say this screw up will hit me like a tone of bricks sooner or later."
"I will not say that," Harry said. "We all screwed up in one time or another. It's how you live with that mistake that matters."
"I would have said it a little more blunt," Alex smirked and looked at the two.
"You would, wouldn't you?" Ian frowned. Before he could add to his insult, Ian heard a wince of pain and immediately went into the infirmary.
"Are you all right, Lady Chang?" Ian asked as he felt his way towards Cho's bed.
"Just pulling myself together," Cho smiled. She looked at Ian intently and smiled softly. He was smiling like he had found peace within himself. Then, he laughed.
"I just got that," he said. "That was nice."
"A miracle had happened," Alex said as he stood by Cho's side.
"What miracle?" Harry asked.
"Ian never laughs," Alex said in a serious tone. "This is the first time I've heard him do so." Ian was suddenly silent, his smile had gone as well. He suddenly walked to his bed and lay down.
"I'm going back to sleep," Ian said as he closed his eyes. Cho smiled sadly and lied down as well.
"Well, I see that you need your rest Ian," Harry said as he glared at Alex. "Alex shrugged in his accusation but started to walk for the exit. "We'll talk in another time." Harry smiled and left the infirmary.
Ian heard the footsteps of his guests and followed them until they were out of the vicinity. Only then did he open his eyes and turned his head at Cho. He sensed that she was looking at him and gave her a shy smile.
"Thank you," Ian said. Cho was bewildered at his sudden admission of thanks.
"What for?" she asked.
"Alex was right," he said sullenly. "I haven't laughed in a long time if ever at all. Thank you for reminding me what it's like to laugh."
"Don't worry about it," she said and looked up to the ceiling. "I like seeing people smile."
"And I love hearing the hearts of the people who cared," Ian said. Cho looked at him in confusion but he shrugged. "It's a blind thing"
"How long have you been blind anyway?" she asked.
"A week," he said. "But I already like hearing you in every way." Cho blushed and smiled at him.
"I hope your eyes get better," she said sincerely.
Ian looked at the ceiling and smiled.
*** ***
"What's taking him so long?" Ginny asked as she paced around the living room, making its other occupants rather annoyed.
"It's just noon," Shiva busied herself in a book not really wanting to see Ginny walk around like that, it was giving her a headache. Ginny sighed and grabbed her necklace. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Shiva smiled as she felt the pure bliss emanating from Ginny.
"Every time you touch it you feel like you're close to him?" she asked. Ginny blushed and nodded.
"Are there the only ones in existence?" Ginny asked.
"That I know of," Shiva nodded. "Lian had it custom made by the woodland elves. It's quite rare." Ginny nodded and smiled.
"I'll be outside," Ginny said and walked towards the garden.
She never told anyone in her family save for Ron about the ring in her necklace. It was a gift to her from Shiva, and she treasured it for eternity.
Because Harry had its mate.
A gift to him from Lian.
When ever she felt alone she would hold the ring in her hand and closed her eyes. It was like she felt him close to her. And now she wanted to feel him.
She stood out in the garden and held the ring close to her. She closed her eyes and thought of Harry.
Funny thing though, she suddenly felt him placing his arms ever so slowly on her waist. Crawling from her back down to the front. She then felt him rest his chin on her shoulder. She shuddered on the contact and sighed.
She felt him blowing gently breaths on her neck and nape, tickling her sending her to a place of bliss.
"Harry," she moaned as she felt a pair of lips touch her neck.
"Yes?" he answered.
Ginny suddenly opened her eyes and turned to look at Harry's grinning face. He blinked at her confusion. Ginny's heart raced as she saw him there.
"Surprised?" he asked unsurely. Ginny growled and hit him on the shoulder.
"Do not sneak up on me like that!" she shouted. Harry laughed and released her.
"You weren't complaining earlier," he defended. "In fact it seemed like you were in a world of your own."
"You scared me half to death!" she raved as she caught her breath.
"Funny. You didn't look scared a moment ago," he teased.
"If I get my hands on you..." Ginny started forward but Harry already ran, laughing, into the house.
Ginny shook her head and smiled. She really needed to remember why she was marrying him. But there was no other answer than what she had.
Ginny loved Harry.
End of 7