AN: Yes. Ok. So it's been a little bit since I updated. Well, this chapter is extra long, and I will promise you another tomorrow, to compensate. All reviews will be answered then!
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Chapter 15
Ginny had to say, she'd been very fast getting dressed. Not to mention quiet, managing to throw on her clothes and find both shoes without waking her slumbering dormmates.
As a result, she could still taste the toothpaste as she came sliding down the stairs, nearly tripping over her shoe-less feet in her haste not to be left behind. Not that she thought they'd do that, but she was taking no chances.
And yet, as fast as she'd been, apparently Harry had been faster because as she stubbed a toe and started to take a header down the last three stairs, familiar strong arms shot out and hauled her against a nice, clean-smelling chest.
"Alright, there?" said a voice over her head, and Ginny tried to shove the blush back down before she looked up. She was unsuccessful, of course.
"Er, yeah," she mumbled as she gazed up into those green eyes. She wasn't sure if she was really seeing it, but they seemed… deeper. Less guarded. Not that she thought Harry would ever be the kind of guy to just lay it all out there; no, he'd been through too much for that to happen. But maybe, just maybe…
She blushed again as she realized she was still cuddling up against him and he was watching her stare at him. "Um, so are we ready to go down?" she said, still not moving. Hey, she might be embarrassed, but she wasn't stupid. She'd take every second she could tucked up in his arms.
Harry slowly eased her to stand on her own feet, looking perhaps a little reluctant, she hoped. "We're waiting on Hermione," he said. Ginny looked over her shoulder and belatedly realized that her brother was leaning against the fireplace, arms crossed, smirking like a moron. She sent him a glare to tell him that one word would get him on the bad side of her wand, and he smirked bigger.
Fortunately for her brother's continued health and welfare, Hermione chose that moment to come down the stairs, without taking a nosedive as Ginny had. Humph. "Right," the Head Girl said, looking at the three of them, "shall we go?"
Harry nodded at her, and they all headed for the door, Ginny still a bit breathless from her lovely close encounter. Hermione, being the astute girl she was, managed to snag Ginny's arm and whisper in her ear as they went down stairs and halls.
"What was that look for?" Hermione whispered.
"I tripped on the stairs and Harry caught me," Ginny whispered back. The boys were a few feet ahead of them, not really saying anything. Her eyes lingered on the messy black head in front of her.
"Oh, really?" Hermione's whisper was loaded with meaning.
Ginny grinned, still watching the back of Harry's head. "Yeah," she said softly.
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Harry still wasn't completely sure that he was doing the smartest thing, telling Ron and Hermione and Ginny about… everything. But somehow, Ron'd suckered him into that nice moment in the owlry, and now here he was, facing a plate of pancakes, a nearly empty dining hall, and the three people he most wanted safe. Bugger, he thought, and took a bite of some very good pancakes. He was definitely hungry.
Hermione sipped her pumpkin juice. "Well?" she said, arching an eyebrow and fixing him with that rather familiar you're-going-to-tell-me-now-or-else look.
Harry chewed and swallowed, and tried not to sigh. "What do you want to know?" he asked warily.
Hermione pursed her lips. "If we're right, and it's the prophecy that's been making you batty the last year or so."
Harry snorted. "Batty? I'm flattered," he mumbled around another mouthful. Bloody hell, these were good. What did the house elves put in them? He swallowed, and then laid down his fork. "Dumbledore told me the full prophecy after the Department of Mysteries," he said in a low voice, after making sure there really was no one else around. "Basically it says that I'm the only one who can kill Voldemort."
"HAH," Ginny smirked. "We were right." She and Hermione gave each other smug little nods.
Ron nudged Hermione with his elbow, his face still sober. "That's not all it says," his best friend told the two girls.
Two sets of brown eyes fastened themselves on him. "What else?" Ginny demanded, her brows drawing together.
Harry found himself looking at her. Funny, but he'd been doing that a lot this morning. Maybe it was the way her hair was loose and tousled, since she'd taken so little time to comb and fasten it back. It made him want to sink his fingers into it, rub the fiery strands between his fingertips as if he could feel the heat that he knew had to be burning there…
"Neither can live while the other survives," he said abruptly, breaking that train of thought. Now wasn't the time. Both faces paled. He gave them each a little twisted smile. "That's right, I have to kill him, or he's going to kill me. There's only going to be one winner."
There was quiet at the table for a long moment as the girls stared at him, then looked at each other. Harry watched as they seemed to be communicating somehow, Merlin knew how, they were girls, after all. Hermione reached across the table and squeezed Ginny's hand, her lips pulled in a tight line.
"So that's why you've kept trying to keep us out of the fight," Hermione finally said, looking back at Harry. He nodded, resisting the urge to start eating again and have something else to do with his eyes and hands.
"If I go down, that's it. It's over," he said quietly. "And I don't want any of you in the line of fire if that happens."
Ron jumped into the conversation. "Geeze, Harry, you think we'd be safe anywhere else if you lost?" he asked, frowning. Harry looked at him. "I mean, think on it. You're gone, Dumbledore's gone, probably every strong wizard on our side is gone. You think You-Know-Who won't send his pet Deatheaters after all the rest of us who weren't on his side? Hell, with mum and dad being in the order, probably Bill and Charlie, too, we're all going to be on his hit list." He shrugged. "Risk dying helping you, or get hunted down after the fact. Seems a pretty clear choice to me."
Ron started eating again, while Hermione was still looking pale. Ginny was… he chanced a glance at her. She had a look in her eyes he couldn't decipher, and one that he wished he hadn't put there.
Hermione seemed to make an effort and pull herself together. "Ok. So we know the prophecy," she said. "We can start looking up spells and things, find a way that you can beat him…" Her brows snapped together and she glared as Harry suddenly and unexpectedly laughed. "What?" she snapped.
Harry smiled at her, feeling a rush of warmth, of affection for this fiercely loyal and highly determined friend. "Nothing," he told her, letting loose long enough to reach across the table and lightly touch one of her hands. "Just… don't ever change, Hermione."
Somewhat to his alarm, her eyes widened and then got all shiny like she was going to cry. "Oh, Harry…" she got out.
Ron shot Harry an alarmed look and then awkwardly reached over and wrapped an arm around the Head Girl. "Hey, Hermione, don't cry, come on. Harry's got this project for you, it's all about spells, you're right…" he fumbled. Harry just sat back and felt uncomfortable.
Hermione sniffed and then glared at Harry. "Why do boys always wait until things are very emotional before they say something like that?" she demanded. Harry figured it was one of those questions she really didn't want answered when she then took a deep breath and seemed to settle down. "You've got spells for me?" she asked.
Apparently she had heard Ron, who, Harry was interested to note, still had his arm around her. And she'd just leaned in closer, putting her head on his shoulder. Hmm… Harry cleared his throat. "Yeah," he said. "I gave Ron the papers last night," he looked at his friend.
"Got them in my bag," Ron said, jerking his head toward the doorway as if to say they were still in the dorm.
Harry nodded. "Part of the package Malfoy gave me," he told her, keenly aware of the still-quiet Ginny next to him, "was this packet of spells. Dark Arts, clearly. In lots of different hands. I made you a copy, and sent one off to Dumbledore last night. I thought you'd be able to look at them and maybe…" he shrugged. "I don't know, get something new from them? I know you haven't done any spellcrafting of your own, but you're the one who'd be most likely to figure that stuff out…"
Hermione's face had gotten more intent as Harry'd talked. It was like watching her brain click on and start powering up to speed. "You've got them upstairs?" she asked Ron, who nodded. Arm still around her. "Give them to me when we go get our things, I've got a free period today and I want to start looking at them as soon as possible."
"Right," Ron agreed. He looked back at Harry and raised a brow. "That wasn't so hard, now, was it, mate?"
Harry grimaced at him. "Shut up," he told him, and Ron grinned.
"I still have a question," Ginny finally spoke up. Harry turned and looked down at her. That look was still there, although a strange kind of… strength? had started to overwhelm it.
"What?" he said, eyes lingering on the curve of her bottom lip.
He watched her swallow. "Where've you been going off to?" she asked. "All those times you come back sweaty and tired, what are you doing?"
He sighed and pulled his eyes away from admiring the smooth pale curve of her cheek. "Room of Requirement," he said, looking back down at his plate and picking up his fork. He took a bite and swallowed. "Training."
"Makes sense," Ron agreed, sounding as if he had a mouthful.
"Swallow first, Ronald," Hermione ordered, and then groaned. Harry grinned. Ron had probably displayed the half-chewed contents of his mouth to her.
Harry took another bite and wondered if he should tell them about his increased abilities. Probably. Ron beat him to it, however.
"Hey, Harry, I think it might be a good idea for us to do some training with you," Ron said. It sounded like he'd swallowed this time. "The better we are, the better we can help you."
Harry looked down at his empty plate and sighed. Rats. Those really were good pancakes. He set his fork down and crossed his arms, leaning forward on them on the table. "Ron, I hate to say it, but I'd end up hurting you," he said softly.
Ron's eyes narrowed. "Why? I'm almost as good as you in Defense, and Hermione's got you beat up the wall in Charms, probably Ginny too…"
Harry was shaking his head. "I… " he blew out a breath. "I think it would be easier to just show you," he finally decided. He glanced at Ron's empty plate, the girls' nearly untouched ones. "You guys done?" he asked.
Hermione nodded, lips set. "If it means getting you to tell us something else, you better believe I'm done," she muttered as she started to get up. Apparently THAT was when Ron realized he'd had his arm around her the whole time, and Harry had to really swallow the snicker. Ron turned beet red and dropped his arm like he'd been hit with lightening. Hah.
"Right," Harry said, getting up as well. "The Room it is, then."
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Ginny followed a step and a half behind Ron as Harry led them to the Room. They all stood to one side and watched silently as he paced back and forth three times, face set. When the door appeared, he reached out, turned the knob and opened it, and gestured to them all. "After you," he said, a not-quite-smile on his lips.
As she brushed past him, going through the doorway, her arm rubbed against his chest ever so lightly, and she thought she felt him shiver. But that couldn't be right, could it? And then Ginny lost that train of thought as she gazed around the room.
It was a large, empty space. There were several doors on the other side of the room, some kind of padding on the floor. As she looked around, one of the doors opened and some kind of dummy, she guessed, came out and seemed to position itself.
Harry sighed behind her, and she jumped just a bit. "Right. Well, showing you is easier," he said. Ginny turned around in time to see him shucking his shoes toward the wall, as he pulled his robe and then his tie and sweater off. "Gin, would you hold these?" he asked, standing there in his socks and shirt.
She had to swallow. Oh, he had grown up nicely. "Sure," she said, holding out her arms. He laid the garments in her hands, and then turned to Ron and Hermione.
"You'd all better stand over there, by the windows," he said. "And put up a good shield spell, just in case." Hermione raised her eyebrows quizzically, but pulled on Ron's sleeve until he followed her. Ginny trailed after the two, not taking her eyes away from Harry, who was standing with his hands in his pockets, looking mighty uncomfortable.
Harry waited until Hermione had done the shield spell, and then cleared his throat. "Right," he said, and turned toward the dummy. As Ginny watched it was as if he shifted into a different person, cool, smoothly moving and totally focused. "Animate," he said, hands still in his pockets, and the dummy suddenly sprang to life. A bolt of yellow light streaked toward Harry, and Ginny nearly shrieked in alarm, but he didn't move. Instead, he stood with his hands in his pockets still and murmured something, she couldn't catch what. The yellow light suddenly reversed its path and sped back toward the dummy.
What proceeded to follow was a dizzying volley of spells, most of which Ginny didn't know. Harry moved from side to side, sometimes ducking his head, all the while watching the dummy fly about the other side of the room while apparently trying to kill him. It took a few minutes before Ginny really registered what was truly going on.
"Oh heavens," she breathed.
"He's not using his wand," Hermione said for her in a soft voice, somewhat awed.
"Bloody hell," Ron muttered.
"Language, Ron," Hermione said absently, eyes still narrowed and intent on what was going on. "Is it just me, or is he toying with that thing?"
"I think he is," Ginny realized, clutching Harry's robe a bit too hard and probably wrinkling it. "He's showing us just what he can do."
Ron snorted. "Merlin, takes this damn long to get him to open up, and now he's showing off? Oi, Potter," he shouted, loud enough for Harry to hear. "We get the point, wrap it up now."
Harry glanced at the three of them, a neutral look on his face, and nodded. "Finite incantatem," he said, and the dummy collapsed to the floor. "Funny," he said into the now silent and still room. "That's the first one I haven't incinerated in a while."
Hermione choked. "Incinerated? And just WHERE, Mr. Potter, did you learn those spells? And how long have you known you could cast them without your wand? And WHY THE BLOODY HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL US???"
Ron coughed. "Uh, Hermione? That last question? Kinda dumb," he said, and winced as she turned her glare on him. "Well, I mean…"
Harry broke in as he walked over to where his shoes were laying and bent to pick them up. "It started maybe a year and a half, two years ago, Hermione," he said. "I'm not really sure. I just started to realize that things were coming easier, quicker. And then one day, Fifth year, after the Department of Mysteries, I was up here and wandered into the room to be alone." He shrugged a little and bent to put his right shoe on. "I got mad and for some reason tried to curse the bookcase in the corner, only I didn't have my wand out. It exploded." He started to lace his left shoe. "As for the spells, I've been doing some reading over the summer."
He straightened up with a grim smile. "After all, I've got to be ready for my damned destiny, don't I?"
Ron was studying the dummy, slouched down in the corner. "You know, Har," he said thoughtfully. "I still think we should train with you." He shook his head at Harry as the other boy raised an eyebrow. "Nah, I don't mean head to head, you'd pulverize us. I get that. But since we're going to be in this war, one way or another, I think we ought to start getting ready, too."
"Everyone should," Ginny suddenly said, and then flushed a bit as the other three turned back to her. She looked at Harry, his green eyes guarded and neutral. "Dumbledore's Army," she told him. "I know we gave it up last year, because Bill was an actual real Defense teacher, but I really think we should start it up again."
Harry's face was rather blank. "I don't think anyone else should know about what I can do," he said.
Ginny shook her head. "That's not what I'm talking about," she said. "I mean the rest of us, you need to get the rest of us working on getting better. Neville, Luna, Dean, Cara… you think they won't be on the front lines, too? Or at least on someone's hit list?" She clutched his cloak tighter and nodded decisively. "It's exactly what we need."
Ron was scratching his chin. "She's right," he said. "And while it really burns me to say it, we should get Malfoy to come, too." Hermione gave an audible gasp. Ron looked at her and shrugged sheepishly. "What, he's not a deatheater, and for sure someone's going to want to get him. Plus I bet he knows some really nasty hexes."
Hermione seemed to get shiny eyed. "Oh, Ron," she said, almost sounding teary. "I'm so very proud of you," and then she flung herself at him and tried to hug him to death. Ron just grunted in reflex and turned pink, and hugged her back.
Harry was standing still as a statue listening. Ginny resisted the urge to fling herself at him, as well, and instead said in her most persuasive voice, "Think about it, Harry. We started it for a reason the first time. Isn't the reason even more important now?"
Harry's eyes trained on her, like twin green light beams that caught her and held her motionless. Her head began to ache just the tiniest bit, and then was gone. She gazed back at him, trying to see into him, trying to understand what he was thinking. And then he sighed. "Maybe," he said. "I don't know if I can do it, though."
Ron had finally stopped being hugged, but was still pink around the ears. "If you really don't want it, we can run things," he said. His face got serious. "But people are going to look to you, Harry, whether you like it or not. And if they don't see you leading the fight, they may not take it seriously."
Hermione broke in then. "We'll have to think about it, how it would work, if you want to do it, ok Harry?" she said. There was a sudden chirping sound and they all jumped in surprise. "Oh, we'll be late for Potions," Hermione gasped, shoving her sleeve up and glancing at her watch. "Come on Ron, let's go get our bags and you can give me those papers."
Ginny hung back as Ron and Hermione hurried out the door. "Here," she said quietly, holding out his sweater, tie and robe.
The door swung shut behind the other two and she suddenly realized that she was standing alone in a room with Harry. And that the last time they'd been like this, it had gotten so hot she'd hardly been able to stand it afterward. Ginny blushed.
Harry simply stood and studied her, not taking his things out of her outstretched arms. "I don't know what to do about you," he finally said, slowly.
Ginny's heart started to beat faster. "What do you mean?" she said, keeping her eyes on him. She was afraid if she looked away, he'd vanish. After all, this was far too much like the start of certain dreams she'd had.
"You," he said, tilting his head and keeping his eyes on her. "You're… making things hard," he finally decided.
Ginny wanted to smack her head, no, HIS head in frustration. "You always did have a way with words," she muttered. And then blushed. Oops. Hadn't meant to say that out loud.
Harry didn't laugh, like she half expected. Instead he took a couple of steps closer to her, still studying her. "Ron says I don't really get a choice about this either," he said, sounding like he was thinking aloud. Another couple of steps. Ginny stayed rooted in one place. "That you'd make it impossible to protect you, that you already did, actually." He frowned deeper. "That's why it's hard."
Two more steps and he was only a few feet away. "What do you want, Harry?" Ginny nearly whispered. It felt like time had stopped, that the pendulum was hanging still and silent and waiting for whatever would happen next.
He was still frowning. "What do I want? I want a lot of things, but basically all of them I can't have." Another step, and another. He was only a foot away, and Ginny barely registered dropping his clothes limply to the floor. "But you, you're hard," he said, almost to himself.
Ginny had to take a deep breath. And then another. She was getting light headed. "Harry," she said softly. "Do you want me?" And started to pray.
He stopped where he was, bare inches from her, and looked down into her face. There was a mildly surprised expression on his face. "Of course," he said simply. And then he made her heart stop and her blood sing as he lifted one hand and reached out to finger a lock of her hair. "How could I not?"
Ginny felt tears prick her eyes; it was all just far too much. Harry's face rapidly shifted to alarm. "Don't cry," he said. "God, please don't cry." Anxiety filled his voice as he dropped the lock of hair. As if he didn't know what to do, he slid his arms around her and pressed her face into his shirt. "Please don't cry."
"You jerk," Ginny muttered into his shirt front, tears still stinging her eyes and one or two getting out despite her best efforts. "Do you know how many bloody YEARS I've been waiting for you to say that?"
A warm, strong hand closed about her chin and tilted her head up. "Well, then," Harry said, and then he kissed her.
That was it. Fireworks went off, birds started singing, stars exploded. All from one hell of a hot and tender kiss. Ginny fisted her hands in his shirt and just held on for dear life. Oh… goodness… dimly registered through her mind. She'd thought it had been a good kiss before, but this was so much… more.
His mouth was firm and soft as he tasted hers, coaxing hers open so their tongues could mingle and taunt. The kiss got deeper and wetter and she thought he groaned, but was a little too distracted to pay much attention. She was not only mesmerized by the kiss, but she'd managed to get one hand buried in that soft, crazy hair of his and the other clutched against his chest.
One of his hands slid to her lower back, pulling her closer against him and it was Ginny's turn to groan as they pressed intimately together. Oh… she thought dimly. She'd dated before, she had some idea about boys and their bodies and what they liked, but this wasn't like that. This was hotter and wilder and so much more important that any of that. She could feel him hard against her belly, and thrilled to know that it was her causing that reaction.
His mouth left hers and slid down her neck, making her gasp as he gently bit the skin at the base of her neck. "Oh," slipped out as she shivered, tipping her head back.
Harry seemed to growl something, and then buried his face in her neck. "We have class," he said in a raspy voice, not moving.
Ginny shuddered as his breath slipped over her skin. "Yeah," she said in a weak voice. Her hand on his chest unclenched and she stroked, ever so lightly. She was absurdly delighted when it was his turn to shudder as her fingers trailed over those lovely muscles.
He finally took a deep breath and stepped away, keeping one hand wrapped around her waist. "Meet me here, after dinner," he said. Those green eyes were nearly glowing as he looked down at her, and Ginny would have told him yes to anything.
"Ok," she said, staring back up at him. Then she took a deep breath, then another and then stepped back herself, his hand falling away. "I should go… to class," she decided.
He just watched her with those hot eyes. "Yeah," he said.
She swallowed. Hard. "I should really go," she repeated.
"Go," he said. Still watching her.
Finally she just turned and fled out the door, making herself race for Gryffindor Tower and her bookbag rather than stay and throw herself at Harry again. Tonight… she thought as she ran. Oh, Merlin.
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Harry was stooping to pick up his tie and sweater when it hit him. Perhaps because he'd been so completely focused on Ginny, and hadn't compensated for the distraction.
There was a low, filthy laugh in his head, and it made him stagger. Voldemort, he thought, clenching his teeth. Bloody damn.
Images started to bombard him, one after another. Past, present, future… they all ran together and came so fast and furious that it nearly sent him to his knees. Instead, Harry pulled himself straight, and reached for his control.
You and me, he thought as clearly as he could. Not sure if it would make it to the man he intended it to. We have unfinished business.
The answer came, so cold and clear that it sent him reeling and gasping for breath. I choose the time and place, Potter, that dark, silky voice said in his mind. I choose, and you die.
And then it was all gone. Everything was clear again, and there was no one in his mind except himself. Harry bent over, breathing hard.
Voldemort had left one picture behind him. Hogwarts. The towers and turrets ablaze, stone beginning to crumble. Bodies in school robes all about. And red eyes, gleaming over it all.
Once again, Harry reached for his tie. So it would be Hogwarts, he thought. Very well, then.