Cruel Love Chapter 3: True Love Never Dies, a harry potter fanfic

Cruel Love

True Love Never Dies

"Marry me, Ginny," he said.

"What?" said Ginny. "But, I…"

"Marry me," Harry repeated. "Marry me now."

"Now?"

Harry nodded. Ginny smiled.

"Yes," she said. "I'll marry you, now."

Harry grinned warmly. He pulled a small box from his robes and opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond solitaire, set in white gold.

"Oh, Harry," gasped Ginny. "It's beautiful."

"I was saving it for this summer," said Harry. "But I thought that now would be even better."

He gently slid it onto her finger, then leant forward and kissed her.

"I was born to love you, Harry," Ginny whispered. "And I always will.

Harry pressed his lips to hers for a moment.

"I'm going to go and get the others, and Dumbledore," he said. "I'll be back in a minute."

Harry dashed off. He found the Weasleys and Hermione waiting anxiously behind the door. Dumbledore was with them, obviously telling them what he had told Harry not long before.

"Harry," exclaimed Hermione, when she looked up and saw him.

Harry took a deep breath.

"Professor," said Harry. "A need a favour."

"What is it, Harry?" asked Dumbledore.

"Are you allowed to officiate a wedding?"

Dumbledore nodded slowly. Mrs Weasley looked at him open-mouthed.

"Why do you want to know that?" asked Ron.

Hermione clobbered him around the back of the head. A smile was spreading across her face.

"Oh, Harry," said Hermione. "That's so wonderful."

Ron grinned as comprehension dawned.

"You're going to marry my little sister," said Ron "Right now?"

"Yes," said Harry. "But we don't have a lot of time, so come on!"

Harry led the other nine into the room and stood by Ginny's bed. Mrs Weasley helped her daughter to sit up, the she joined hands with Harry. Dumbledore stood opposite the couple and others crowded around the sides. Tonks hobbled over to watch as did Lupin who had been speaking with Madam Pomfrey.

"Harry and Ginny," began Dumbledore. "Do you accept this union of your own free will?"

"I do," said Harry.

"I do," said Ginny.

Harry squeezed her hand gently and Ginny smiled up at him.

"Harry," said Dumbledore. "Repeat after me. I, Harry James Potter…"

"I, Harry James Potter…"

"Do take thee Ginevra Molly Weasley…"

"To be my partner in life, my wife…"

"All I am…"

"Ginny, All I am…"

"Is hers."

"Is yours."

Ginny smiled.

"Ginny," said Dumbledore. "Repeat after me. I, Ginevra Molly Weasley…"

"I, Ginevra Molly Weasley…"

"Do take thee Harry James Potter…"

"To be my partner in life, my husband…"

"All I am…"

"Harry, all I am…"

"Is his."

"Is yours."

Harry squeezed her hand again.

"Harry and Ginny have sworn their vows to each other," said Dumbledore. "In so doing they have acknowledged the eternal bond shared by both of them. I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Harry leant down kissed Ginny gently. The people crowded around them clapped and most cried, knowing that it was to be only a short union. Harry knelt down beside the bed so that he was on a level with Ginny.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she said. "So much."

Harry kissed her again. Both were crying and as their faces came into contact their tears mixed and became one.

It was well into the night, three hours after Harry and Ginny's impromptu wedding. The Weasleys, Hermione and Harry were all seated around Ginny's bed. There was total silence about them, even the normal sounds of the night had vanished, leaving only emptiness. Moonlight was shining through the window, but that was the only light in the room. The atmosphere was uncomfortably still. They were all exhausted, from battle and then the worry that followed, but none would sleep. Ginny's breathing was very shallow, and it seemed that she would not last until daylight.

"I love you, Harry," said Ginny suddenly and quietly.

Harry smiled at her. She clung to his hand.

"I love you, too," said Harry. "With all my heart, I love you, Ginny."

"I love you all. Mum, Dad, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron and Hermione," said Ginny.

"I love you, sweetheart," said Mrs Weasley.

"We all love you," said Hermione and the others nodded.

Ginny smiled. Mrs Weasley stroked her daughter's forehead gently. Ginny's eyelids fluttered shut and as she drew her last breath a cloud sailed in front of the moon, casting darkness over the room, just as Ginny's own passing cast a darkness over their lives. Her hand went limp in Harry's and they knew that she was gone.

Ginny Weasley was dead.

"She's dead," whispered Hermione, as though saying it quietly would mean it wasn't true.

Harry pulled Ginny's hand close to his face and held her palm to his cheek.

"Ginny, I love you," he whispered.

Mrs Weasley wept quietly on her husband's shoulder as Arthur held her tightly. Hermione and Ron both put their arms around Harry. Tears were falling silently down Hermione's face and Harry could feel tears stinging his own eyes and allowed the tears to fall.

They stayed by Ginny's side until morning. None slept, no matter how much sleep begged them to rest. They stayed together, to mourn together. When daylight came the Weasleys stood to leave, to return home to the Burrow. Hermione waited by the door for Harry, who was saying goodbye to his love, just one last time. He leant forward and kissed Ginny gently on the forehead.

"Goodbye, Ginny," he said, his voice breaking slightly. "I will always love you."

Harry stood, laid Ginny's hand by her side, brushed a few tendrils of hair from her face, and drew the hangings closed around her. Hermione came to meet him and put her arm around Harry's shoulders again guiding him out of the hospital wing.

"True love never dies," she whispered as they closed the door gently behind them.

The death of Ginny Weasley hit Harry hard.

For a week after Ginny's death Harry Potter wandered around the Hogwarts corridors and classrooms not knowing where he was or what he was doing. He spoke to no one, not even Hermione. Ron had gone home with his family. When Harry was not wearing his school robes, he wore black. His soul was black, black with sadness, black with pain. He didn't bother to make himself presentable, he didn't care if his pants were on back to front, he didn't care if his hair was greasier than Snape's, or if there were bags under his eyes. The only thing that Harry had dared to care about had once again been taking from him. In the final Quidditch match of the season Gryffindor were a chaser short. Harry won the match for his Ginny. He played in his scarlet robes, but he wore a black armband. He never smiled and he never laughed.

Eight days after the tragic demise of Ginny Weasley, Harry sat by the Gryffindor fire, the place that was always special to he and Ginny. When everyone else had gone up to bed they would stay, bathed in the yellow warmth, just enjoying each other's company. The common room emptied slowly around him, but even when it was full, to Harry it was empty. He would never hear her laughter again, never see her smile, never feel the warmth of her soft skin. He would always be alone.

"Harry," said Hermione's voice in the distance.

He didn't turn. Harry just stared into the dying fire.

"Talk to me, Harry," Hermione pleaded sitting beside him. "You need to talk to someone, air your feelings. You need to feel better."

"I'll never see her again," said Harry.

"I know, but you will never forget her."

"I'll never hear her laugh, or see her smile. I can never kiss her or hold her or comfort

her. I will always be alone."

"You won't be alone, Harry. I'm here for you and Ron and Ginny's family. You have us. We are your family. And Ginny will be watching over you, from wherever she is now, just making sure that you're ok."

"It's not the same. You and Ron will be together, kissing and cuddling, and I will be alone."

"Harry you'll find someone else, you'll love again."

"No! I love Ginny and only Ginny. You don't understand! You don't know what it's like to lose someone you love!"

"Then tell me, Harry."

"Voldemort killed my mum, my dad, his Death Eater killed Sirius, and then Voldemort killed Ginny."

"I know, Harry. And I know that it must be hard for you."

"Everyone I have ever loved is gone."

"You'll get through this, Harry. I know you will."

"I don't know how," Harry said, dejectedly.

"You'll find a way." She paused.

"There's something I need to tell you, Harry," she said nervously.

"What?"

"Ginny was pregnant."

"What!"

"Two months. She didn't want you to know, because she knew that you wouldn't let her fight."

"She was right there."

"I was the only person she told."

"Pregnant?" Harry whispered.

He put his head against the arm of the sofa weakly.

"So, I lost Ginny, the only girl I ever loved and ever will love, Ginny, my wife Ginny, and my child in one night?"

Hermione nodded sadly.

"Then Voldemort didn't deserve the death I gave him!"

Harry jerked his head up angrily.

"It was too good for him! I should have made him suffer like I have suffered, like I will suffer!"

"Harry calm down."

"He's taken my family! All the family I've ever known. All the people who I've ever loved. I hate him!"

Tears of anger and pain fell down his face.

"It will be alright, Harry. Trust me. It will get better."

Hermione hugged Harry almost like a mother would hold her child.

Three weeks later Harry walked through the barrier at platform 9 ¾ where he was met by the Weasleys.

"You will come and live with us, won't you Harry?" asked Mrs Weasley. "After all, you are family."

Harry smiled at her sadly and nodded. He followed them out to the car park, trailing slightly behind them, he turned to watch the stream of students appearing seemingly out of thin air. His old life was behind him, his life with the muggles and his life at Hogwarts. He was beginning a new life now, a life for which he had no expectations. He was beginning his life without Ginny.

Harry Potter was dead.

For seventy long years he had waited to die. He had nobody left in his world, Dumbledore had died some sixty years before, then Moody, McGonagall, Molly and Arthur, Remus, Mundungus, and Tonks. Ron had widowed Hermione ten years ago and Hermione had joined him two years later. Fred and George, Bill, Charlie and even Percy had all died. Neville was dead and Luna. Harry was the only one left. For seventy years he had waited to die, seventy years since he last saw his Ginny. Every day he saw her in his dreams, he saw the family that he would have had, and everyone he loved was there, even those that had passed long ago, Ginny, Sirius, Lily and James. Harry had lived alone, a recluse, he saw no one, and spoke to no one. For seventy years he had lived with grief, lived with blame, lived with anger and regret. He could not bring her back. Nothing could bring her back.

And so, the famous Harry Potter, the great Harry Potter, Harry Potter – the Boy-Who-Lived, died alone and friendless, for all those dear had gone before him. And Harry welcomed death, for he knew it to be a new beginning, and he knew that he would be with those he loved again. His mum and his dad, Sirius and Ginny. Ginny. He had longed to see her, every second of every day he longed to see her. He had missed her so terribly that he wished that the sun would never come up and the world would end. He never stopped loving his Ginny.

Death, to Harry, was a friend. A friend he had waited for so long to meet. He had lost count of the years, age mattered not to Harry, only death, only the chance to see Ginny again. That was how he loved her. He loved her more than life, more than the earth, more than the stars, and he missed her. He blamed himself for her death, Sirius' death and his parents' death. He had lived out his life with guilt weighing him down. He had been lonely for seventy years, and in the last decade lonelier than ever.

Harry Potter was not sad when the time came for him to die. He was happier than he had been since before the last battle. Before that day, the day when Voldemort was killed, the day that Ginny died. Love was Harry's greatest power. His love for Ginny Weasley had enabled him to defeat his foe, but he had still lost her, but he knew it would not be forever. After all, she had only gone beyond the veil. That veil. That place. So many memories were held there and none of them happy.

Harry Potter was dead. His soul passed through the ragged veil into the next world. He was young again. He was seventeen again. He walked along the tunnel to the light. A gate opened and he walked through.

Her red hair was glinting in the bright light, she was waiting for him.

Ginny ran into his arms and he held her tight. Harry kissed her. Son long he had waited to kiss her and he had waited for him.

"I thought you were never coming," she said.

Harry smiled. More people were coming towards them. Ron, Hermione, Molly, Arthur, Remus, Tonks, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Fred and George, Bill, Charlie and Percy. They were all smiling at him. Harry grinned back, still holding his Ginny. Hermione waved. They were all young again, as though the last seventy years had never happened.

"Harry," said a man behind him.

Harry turned and looked at his godfather. He looked into the face he had not seen for seventy-two years. Sirius put his arm around Harry's shoulders.

Two more people were walking towards him from behind Sirius, arm in arm and smiling. It was Lily and James.

"Harry!" cried Lily.

She ran to her son and hugged him. James too put his arms around his son as Ginny and Sirius stepped away.

"We're so proud of you, Harry," said his father.

Harry smiled again. He could not stop smiling. Ginny was crying tears of joy. They were together again. Harry and Ginny, Harry and Sirius, Harry and his parents. Everyone.

They were in the world beyond the veil.

Together, at last.