House on the Mountain

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters, JK Rowling does.

His smell filled the air as the gentile wind blew from the west over the mountains. He was close by, yes, very close, but not close enough. The sun was setting placidly over the horizon while in the twilight; a soft cry rang from an exotic bird over yonder. The rocks were slippery from the freshly fallen rain the pounded down like hail as the thunder crashed above. Flecks of lightening scattered throughout the sky and lit up the path, though only for a few brief seconds.

She trekked farther up the steep incline slipping with each step she took. Slowly and steadily, she climbed to her destination. Her heart pounded, faster and faster as she gasped for breath. Her lungs were screaming in pain, her throat dry and rough, yet she ignored it and continued her climb. She could see her destination now. It was only a few hundred yards away.

The small cottage's shiny slate roof dripped with water onto the sedimentary rocks of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. It's siding was a pale green that contrasted with the dark wet rock on which it sat. The door was painted white, with a pale blue trim. Her heart skipped a beat. She was almost there.

As she rounded the corner and made her way up to his front door, her legs locked. Tripping, she slid for an instant before grabbing a nearby chunk of rock. Her hiking boots slipping steadily, she scrambled to her feet and up to the door. Taking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes.

I shouldn't be here. She thought as she looked down to where she had come from. A rush of adrenalin filled her body as a burst of courage flooded her being. She hadn't come this far just to give up. Nothing he says can hurt me anymore than he already has.

Slowly, she lifted her hand to the door and hesitantly knocked quietly; silently. No one answered her call. Pushing her hair, now matted and soaking wet, behind her ears, she knocked again. This time she knocked louder. This time, he heard her.

She stood there patiently as she watched him open the door agonizingly slow and then shut it as if it were made of dry ice, or fire. Tears filled her eyes, but she would not cry them. She knocked again, hoping that she would not breakdown. To her surprise, he opened the door again and this time, he didn't shut it.

His eyes were a deep crystal blue. Bluer than the ocean that once was their favorite place to go… together. His sandy brown hair was shorter than she remembered it to be, but then again, it had been over three years. His robes were old and warn out from everyday use. She smiled at him, but he didn't smile back.

Silently, he reluctantly let her in against his will. He didn't want to see her again; she could see it in his eyes, and eyes never lie. He led her into his tiny kitchen, which was painted the same color as the outside of the house. "What do you want from me?"

Her smile was gone now. Her hair hung in her face like wildfire, her face bright red with anger, but the tone of her voice did not show it. "I wanted to see you."

"Why" he asked gruffly.

"Because I…"

"Damn Gin! You don't love me!" he yelled.

Her eyes filled up with tears again as she cursed herself. I knew I shouldn't have come here. He doesn't love me. He can't love me. "I wasn't going to say that. I was going to say I missed you."

He calmed down a bit; taking in a deep breathe. "You shouldn't have come here."

Silently and subconsciously, she fell into his arms. Her head rested against his chest as she whispered, "You smell good, Rem. Just like always." As she nuzzled closer, Remus pulled away quickly, yet reluctantly.

"Ginny, you know we can't do this," he pleaded. "I'm too old for you. I'm a blood werewolf!"

Ginny took a step closer and at the same time, Remus backed away. "But I don't care." She was crying now and she cursed herself again for it. "You smell so good and I just don't care and I want you so bad and…" She had managed to grab him and pull him close to her again. Swiftly, before Remus could escape again, she brushed her lips softly against his.

As Remus kissed back, hesitantly at first, he soon deepened the kiss. From deep in his chest, a low growl escaped his throat and quickly brought him back to reality. As he pushed her away, he could see a mix of pain and desire in her eyes. "Oh god Ginny," he groaned. "We can't do this. This, us, it's wrong. Remember what happened the last time this happened? Ron was about to kill me and your Dad wanted to neuter me!"

A small smile appeared on Ginny's lips and then quickly faded. She remembered that day, like it was yesterday. It haunted her dreams. "I remember that day." She mumbled under her breath. "It was the day you kissed me on the pier by the beach house that this place, your house clones. You kissed me and I liked it, but then you ran away… you ran here."

"I kissed you and your brother saw me and he came after me with his wand. He told me that if I ever came back, he'd kill me. I knew he wasn't joking. I didn't know how to leave you, so I grew distant over time and then the war came and I realized it was my perfect escape."

"You hurt me. You tore my heart out and stomped on it. You… You… and I hated you so much. You…left me and I… I didn't know what to do." Tears fell freely from Ginny's puffy eyes and down her reddened face

"Shhh," Remus whispered as he pulled her closer. His voice cracked as tears ran slowly down his face. "I'm sorry Ginny. I love you, but we just can't be."