Fire and Courage
Summary: For most of Ginny's life, she's loved Harry Potter. When she starts Hogwarts, all she wants is for him to love her too.
Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived
The night was inky, the stars like millions upon millions of diamonds in a velvet sky. A little red haired girl was changing from dirty jeans and a bright blue t-shirt into a lovely white nightgown in a room decorated with light yellow flowered wallpaper. Her tiny feet peeked out from the nightie's lacy edge. The sleeves were so long they covered her little fingers, painted red with her mother's polish. She hummed slightly to herself, something she'd heard her mum singing earlier that day when she was weeding the vast garden beneath her window as she climbed beneath her yellow quilt and snuggled into the pillows, waiting for her father to come in for a bed time story.
This particular little girl was named Genevra Weasley, and she was the youngest of seven children, and most importantly the only girl. She adored bedtime stories, but loved her father and mother and many brothers more than any pretty book. She smiled slightly, the grin curling her pretty little pink lips like a scrolling signature. She clutched the yellow floral comforter, knitted lovingly by her plump, crimson haired mother, and stared at the ceiling, posters of the Winbourne Wasps Quidditch team covering the entire yellow surface.
She heard footsteps seconds later, creaking up the old stairs, and then her yellow door, with a bright orange flowery sign bearing her name opened with a squeak, and her father's face appeared. Arthur Weasley was quite tall, with balding red hair, big brown eyes, like Genevra's, that were covered with glasses. He smiled at his daughter when he entered, leaving the door open, and she could see a peak of the dark hall beyond.
"Hello Ginny dear," he said, in a kind, tired voice. Ginny's grin lit up her tiny freckled face, and she sat up almost immediately in excitement.
"Hello Daddy!" she cried, clutching the blankets in absolute exhilaration. She was quite looking forward to hearing her favorite story. "How was work?" her voice was practically quivering.
Her father smiled at her, taking the wicker chair away from her small desk, and turned it around so he could sit right beside her bed. "Excellent darling," his smile faltered a bit, but Ginny didn't press when her father added, "Now which tale would you like to hear tonight love?"
Ginny let out a squeak of thrill, jumping up and down as much as she could in her little bed. Her kneecap hit the wall and she felt a jump of pain leap up her thigh. She winced, and her father leaned over to remove the quilt and kiss it better.
Though the pain didn't recede, and her leg still ached, she knew her favorite story would help indeed. "Daddy," she squealed. "Tell me the story about the Boy Who Lived!"
Her father's smile widened, though his eyes grew sad. He knew the story by heart, and Ginny did also, so much that she could mouth along with him when he told it each night.
"Once upon a time," her father began, and her eyes lit up with glee. "There lived a witch named Lily Evans. A young wizard called James Potter loved her, but she hated him. He was superficial, a prankster, and he bullied those who were younger then he. She told him off whenever he asked her on a date, but one day, she noticed he was different. He didn't meet her eyes, he seemed shy, and something told her to just say yes.
They married three years later. And nine months after that, had a tiny baby boy named Harry." Ginny's heart began to bound as she mouthed along, each word like the sweetest candy on her lips. Her father smiled kindly as he continued. "He grew up in a flurry it seemed, unaware that a war was brewing around him. His parents went into hiding, in fear of a terrible dark wizard, but the baby didn't mind. His life was filled with love and happiness, toys and kisses. However, those things faded one dark stormy night." Ginny gave a great gasp of fear; her father patted her hand, and held in his own. "The horrible Wizard, named V-V-V-Voldemort (he drew a great shuddering gasp, and Ginny's insides turn to lead, as she clutched the quilt so tight that her fingers turned pink and ached.). He came to their cottage that dark night, not stormy at all, a night perfect for star gazing. He came to kill the Potters, and especially their little son, for he was afraid the boy would grow to be a threat to his cause.
"He killed James with one spell, but the boy's mother was much harder to vanquish. She begged and pleaded with him, but a jet of green light ended her life also. And so the wizard turned to the baby, sitting in his crib, his blue booties scratching against his tiny white sheets, his little fingers clutching a teddy bear. (This wasn't confirmed, but Ginny's father had added details over the years.) However, once the jet of bright green light flashed from his wand, it rebounded (This was another detail unconfirmed, though it seemed logical that to kill a wizard, his spell would have to rebound) back on him, and he fell with a scream, his body disappearing from his voluminous black cloak before he hit the ground.
"Baby Harry was a hero. Everyone is our world knows his name, though no one knows where he is, for that is a secret."
Though the story was sad, and not quite completed, it was Ginny's favorite. She smiled slightly as fatigue began to relax her limbs, and lying back against the covers, she accepted her father's kiss, and shivered with warmth as he tucked the blankets tightly around her. Arthur Weasley blew out the candles sitting on the small bookshelf beside the door, and as he was about to close it, he heard his almost sleeping daughter say, "Daddy, one day I swear I'll marry him."
He knew whom she was speaking of, but he paused with one hand on the doorknob, and looked back at the dark form of his sweet little girl. He smiled as he asked "Whom darling?"
Ginny Weasley gave a sleepy smile. "Harry Potter of course." She murmured before sleep took her. 'The Boy Who Lived.'
A/n: Hey everyone! This is the long story I was talking about. I'll be writing two LONG H/G Tales for you. Chasing Harry has nothing to do with Fire and Courage, but I really hope you guys like both.
