Lonely is the Night

By Sapphire200182

The next installment of the "Air Supply Series", which is a collection of loosely-linked HP/GW songfics which share one significant trait…they are original fics by me and they are all named after the song that is woven into the storyline.

Disclaimer: I don't own nothing…which is probably a good thing 'cos Harry Potter might jump off the Teens rack and into the Erotica section…just joking!

Act 1

Ginny stared out at the starry night, and sniffled. It had been months since Harry had gone, hunting down one of the most powerful Death Eaters, and also the only one left – Draco Malfoy. Since then, she hadn't received any letters from Harry, and she'd cried almost all the time, and when she wasn't crying she was staring at the skies and wondering where Harry was.

She'd tried to cry herself to sleep, but that hadn't worked tonight.

A rustle of leaves in the garden beneath, and there came the soft hoot of an owl. Crookshanks yowled, giving chase at a garden gnome who promptly squealed out something, probably gnomish invective.

Ginny resumed her gaze at the skies, spotting the star Sirius. The midnight tableau looked exactly like it had on that first date by the Great Lake…

Another rustle of leaves, but this time no gnomish curses. Ginny straightened, and peered out over the sill.

No Crookshanks. No garden gnome scampering to safety. Certainly not the warning hoot of an owl. But there were definitely more dry leaves crackling.

Ginny slowly dropped a hand to her dresser table, grabbing her wand. Although most of the powerful Death Eaters had been run down, the little minions still dreamt of glory and conquest, and the War hadn't quite quite died down yet.

Another rustle of leaves. The garden had fallen quiet…eerily so.

Then a shadow loomed up outside, staring up at her window. Ginny nearly screamed, except… it could be a garden gnome, she told herself.

Except garden gnomes weren't taller than she was. Or have a great shock of unruly, jet-black hair. Or grip an eleven-inch-holly-wood-phoenix-feather wand. Or – and here Ginny's heart lifted almost to her throat – possess two extremely sharp eyes, emerald green behind those familiar glasses…

Really thought that I could live without you
Really thought that I could make it on my own
Sent you away yeah I said I didn't need you
I let you go I let you go I let you go
Now I'm so lost without you
Now you're not here and now I know

Ginny flung open her cupboard door, grabbing the Comet Two-Sixty that she'd persuaded Harry into buying (he'd originally wanted to get a Firebolt for her) and ducked, shooting out of the window with practised ease.

But she shot out into empty air, and when she landed, she could see no sign. Was it just a sick, terrible dream?

And indeed it seemed to be her imagination, for nothing could be seen. She checked behind her. Nothing.

"Look again, Gin."

She spun around, and there he was, materializing out of thin air, removing the Invisibility Cloak.

Lonely is the night when I'm not with you
Lonely is the night ain't no light shining through
Till you're in my arms till you're here by my side
Lonely am I

They stood and stared at each other. Wind blew the dry leaves between them, rustling into the night.

"Ginny? I'm back."

They both took a step forward, and then suddenly they came togethe, like a line of silken electricity, touching each other, kissing each other deeply, feeling the reassurance of solid flesh.

He stroked her hair, feeling its' soft reassurance, smelling that 'Ginny Wildflower' smell that he'd come to associate with her.

She felt his back, slightly gaunt with the rigours of the past weeks, and drinking in those emerald-green pupils that seemed to permeate her soul, and fill her till swooning with the love they radiated.

Never thought that I, that I would need you
Never thought that I, that I'd be missing you
Gotta get you back
I just got to find a way now
To let you know to let you know to let you know
That I'm so lost without you
And now this world it just ain't right

She stepped back, still embracing each other, and something wet fell on his shirt. A tear perhaps?

She brought a hand up, caressing his face, feeling its' familiar contours, striking his cheek, and then…

SLAP!

Cheek stinging, Harry reeled, and fell backwards into the bushes growing by the side of the Burrow, and knocked his head against the wall.

"Hey! What was that for!" He rubbed his smarting cheek, as the little spitfire advanced on him.

"Harry James Potter! That, was for leaving without me. And this, is for not even owling or anything!" She whipped her wand up, and before he knew it great flapping balls of bat-gunk attacked him, fouling his hair, smacking against his glasses, and then suddenly were gone.

Replaced by her lips, attacking him as they kissed again, and he leaned back against the house, enjoying every moment of it.

"And this," she said tenderly, "…is for coming back."

They sat there half the night, enjoying the moon, the stars, but most of all each other.

Lonely is the night when I'm not with you
Lonely is the night ain't no light shining through
Till you're in my arms till you're here by my side
Lonely am I

"So," she said later, over a hot cup of industrial-strength black coffee, "…are you gonna tell me about your little adventure?"

Ginny was snuggled up against him next to the fire, sitting on his lap, and him in a big armchair that he had conjured up. Her hands played with his, which were clasped around her tightly.

I can make it through the day
I can fake it okay
I just smile and pretend
And I tell myself I'll be alright

Harry grinned. "Well…it was hell. Without you, that is."

Ginny smiled. The firelight flickered across their faces, and she basked in its' warmth. It had replaced the coldness in the pit of her belly when Harry had left. "Oh? Really? Can't live without me, eh? How are you going to survive in the world, then, Mr. Killed-Voldie-On-My-Own?"

He shifted, and rummaged in his pockets for it. His scrabbling fingers suddenly encountered a piece of velvet fabric.

Harry brought it out, a small velvet box, and snapped it open.

In it lay the most beautiful ring Ginny had ever seen, a small, demure diamond set in the middle of the plainest gold band you could ever dream of. But its…minimalism, its soft, creamy, even texture surprised her. It wasn't garish, and it wasn't plain Jane.

It was just right.

Harry cleared his throat, which had suddenly gone dry. "Er…Ginny…it's boring being a bachelor. Even Ron and Hermione are getting married. Could you fix it for me so I'm hitched?"

Ginny smiled, and her eyes twinkled. "Why, Harry James Potter. That's no way to ask a lady to marry you. No romance at all… What happened to the Four Famous Words?"

"I'll Pay The Bill?"

Ginny laughed, a silvery tinkle that reminded him of soft wind chimes tinkling in the light breeze.

"No, silly…will you marry me?"

Harry straightened her up, gripping her by the shoulders. "Will you marry me?" he asked solemnly.

In answer, she threw her arms around him, and they melted into a kiss – one that they would remember forever, so intense was its' passion. Harry trembled violently, and when they broke for air it was like having been to Heaven and back, and Valhalla to boot.

"Yes…oh yes…" she said, and laid her head down on Harry's chest, feeling the most contented she'd ever felt in her life.

But lonely is the night
Lonely is the night…