Does Hurt Ever Go Away?

By Moony

I don't own Harry Potter.

Thanks to my two reviewers, Lily-James14 and xcloudx! Cookies to you both! –Moony

Chapter 3

Ginny was floating, so high, so high… she could see something off in the distance. What she noticed first was red. Did she dare believe? Had he not really died? Or was she dead and in Heaven? It would be wonderful if she was. Finally leaving everything down from Earth, no pain…

Maybe some mass murderer came in the middle of the night, and she had fallen asleep outside and gone up. How great the feeling would be. She was going to be with Dad and Ron forever…

"Ron? Dad?" she whispered, reaching out with trembling fingers.

"Shh. Yeah, it's us Gin," Ron said softly.

His voice seemed so far away…

"You guy's… aren't… dead? Then how come you've been hiding?" Ginny asked, her voice shaking.

"We are dead. Dead don't come back alive. But we… we were granted fifteen minutes to see you, because we must tell you something," Dad replied.

"Only fifteen minutes? But – "

"Shut up Gin! We have to hurry!" Ron said quickly.

"Ginny, You-Know-Who. He will look for you! He's going to try to take you as a hostage, to kill Harry. You must be on your guard – trust no one but Dumbledore or Harry. There will be weird people coming this year, and some of them may be one of the Death Eaters. Keep your wand with you at all times," Dad said.

"But how do you know? And how will I know? Why do they want me again? Who is it?"

"I had an assignment, and I heard the person who's going to take you will be disguised as – "

But they were starting to vaporize and float away…

"Oh no, our time is up…I'm sorry Gin!"

"No – no! Don't leave me again! Don't leave me without a brother or a Dad…"

"We're sorry Gin, but we can't…"

"Oh don't! Oh don't! Come back!"

"We can't Gin… good-bye… we're always watching over you. Be careful…"

The voices were getting farther and farther… and the two of them disappeared totally. Ginny saw nothing more. She wasn't in Heaven. She was still alive. And she was probably never, never going to see them again.

Suddenly, Ginny sat up with a start, and the grounds of Hogwarts came into full view. Damn it! She had forgotten to tell them that she loved them. But had it just been… a dream? Maybe she was so desperate, so desperate to speak to them… that she dreamt about them? But it didn't seem a dream. It was more like… a vision, or something. She wished she could tell someone. If something like this happened, she would usually talk to Ron. Never had she told someone like Fred or George, who would make a joke out of it. Never had she told Percy, who would get all practical and tell her not to worry. Never had she told Bill or Charlie… because they were always away. Whenever something at Hogwarts happened, her first choice was always Ron. Because he was the most to listen and help. And if she were at home, she would run to Dad. They were really alike… Ron and Dad. They weren't the brightest, but they were funny, loyal, and helpful. They listened. Mum was just about as helpful as Percy. Amd now she had lost them both. Ron and Dad. She had never thought she would lose both of them. If one or the other were gone, she always thought one would still be there, so she could cry onto their shoulders and talk. If Dad had died, then she would've cried to Ron. If Ron had died, she would've cried to Dad.

Who could she go to now? Who could she talk to?

Her first instinct was Harry. He was well… more helpful than Ron. He really took everything to thought and tried to help in the best way possible, though he really never took the best. But Harry was always more keen to listen, well, because Ron was her brother, and Ron sometimes got annoyed at her, like all siblings did.

Except for Harry wasn't talking.

But maybe he didn't have to talk. Maybe all she needed was someone to shut up, stop feeling sorry for her, and listen. Yes, that was it.

She ran up to the castle, hurried up the stairs and up to the portrait.

"Gillyweed!" she said, and the portrait swung forward.

Ginny dashed in. Harry was there, sitting, staring into the fire, as usual. He didn't appear to be really seeing the fire, more of just sitting, spacing out.

"Harry," she said.

She watched as Harry gave a jump and turned his head to look at her.

"Harry I want to talk to you."

Harry shook his head, then stared back into the fire.

"No, you don't have to talk.I just need someone to listen…"

Harry turned around again. Ginny wasn't sure whether he was listening or not, but she decided to talk anyhow.

"Ok, look. I fell asleep on the grounds outside right? And then I had a dream – no it wasn't a dream, I had a vision or something. And Ron and my dad were there, and they were telling me that You-Know-Who was going to use me or something to get you. Do you think… do you think it was just a dream? Or a vision? Do you think it's true?"

She knew she wasn't going to get an answer, but Harry did seem to be thinking. Finally, he gave a nod. What was that supposed to mean? That it was a dream? Or a vision? His mouth opened, and Ginny watched him struggle to let his voice come out. More words?

"I'll help you."

Ginny wasn't sure what feeling was overcoming her. She felt ever so grateful! At last, there was someone to lean on. Someone who wasn't feeling sorry for her. Someone who understod… she knew she had made the right choice years ago when she had fallen for Harry.

"Oh thank you Harry…"

"Tell Dumbledore," he mumbled softly.

Dumbledore? She didn't want to tell Dumbledore. But she did see his point. Dumbledore could protect her, and her Dad had told her to trust him.

"I – I can't…" she said back.

What she wanted was to hear Harry talk more, maybe she could break the stone wall blocking his vocal chords. Then she could… she could know about Ron's death. She could have a sort of… a kind of brother to run to. Like a second Ron.

Harry shrugged. Without another word he rose from the chair and headed up to the boy's dormitories. Ginny was sure his voice had been locked behind the walls again. Oh well. It was a good start. Six words in all since a month ago.

Maybe she would tell Dumbledore…

If Harry thought so, then oughtn't she do it? For some reason, she couldn't get over her anger at Dumbledore. She tried reasoning with herself. It felt like two angels on each shoulder trying to persuade.

If I'm not mad at Harry, then how come I'm mad at Dumbledore? They're both equally responsible…

Deep inside, Ginny knew the answer. She loved Harry as she never did for Dumbledore. Sure, she had always thought Dumbledore a powerful, wise, all-knowing wizard, but deep inside, she had always had a fiery love for Harry Potter. Even as a little girl, hearing the name brought shivers down her spine. Oh how ardently she had longed to meet Harry Potter when she was young! The boy who conquered the Dark Lord! And he was quite good looking she betted. It was silly, childhood crush then, the kind of crush girls had on famous celebrities.

And then Ron had become friends with Harry Potter, only making everything worse and better for Ginny at the same time. She wasn't sure whether Harry had been really flattered by everything in her first year, because it was quite embarassing. But heck, she had only been eleven.

It was why she spared Harry. Rather than be angry, she wanted to know how Ron died. But yet, she was still mad at Dumbledore? When Dumbledore could tell her things about her Dad? Or be someone she could talk to?

"I'll tell him, I'll tell him… tomorrow, I will…"

Ginny felt some weights being lifted. All from a talk with Harry. The darkness did not seem so horrifying, and she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. A deep sleep she had not had for a long, long time.