Authors: Gemmika and Ham
Title: Tears of a saviour (01)
Summary: A boy, who has the fate of the world resting on his shoulders. A girl, who has to fight with everything she has to keep him alive, to keep him with her. From the dangerous hunt for the horcruxes to the final showdown with the Darkest wizard in History… Harry and Ginny know that their love and their friends are the only things that will see them through. Post HBP.
DISCLAIMER: No, we don't own Harry Potter. We just write fanfics for fun and make absolutely no money out of it. It all belongs to the great JK Rowling.
OoOoOoO
Tears of a saviour
Chapter 01
OoOoOoO
Harry sat with his back against a tree, in a corner of the garden at the Burrow, his mood somber and depressed.
The past month had been very trying. The Dursleys were not the easiest people to reason with at the best of times and they had not taken the idea of Ron and Hermione staying with them very well, and that was putting it mildly.
Aunt Petunia had nearly been bristling in disapproval. Harry knew what was going through her mind; it was plain on her face. She had tolerated her freak of a nephew for more than fifteen years and was not pleased to see more of them in her house. It had not helped that Crookshanks had begun chasing Pig around her spotless kitchen in a mad game of tag the minute they had walked through the door.
She threw a glance at her nephew's friends. Harry was looking at them through his aunt's critical eyes. Hermione, being with two boys was not going to get a good review. Petunia would say that Hermione looked too bold faced and opinionated by half. Besides the fact that she wasn't around any young girls, she would say the young brunette was probably was one of those shameless hussies with loose morals that were seen so often nowadays. Harry could feel his aunt's gaze roam over Hermione, as if she could look inside her and see whether she had lost her morals.
Her gaze turned to Ron and Harry groaned. Ron looked every bit a wizard, nothing held back. He was dressed in a loud orange t-shirt with the words 'Chudley Cannons' emblazoned on it and below it was a broomstick and two zooming black balls. Petunia's jaw dropped. Harry could just see the question forming in her mind… What if the neighbours saw?
She had also noticed that he was waving his wand impatiently in his hand. Her face whitened in shock.
Vernon Dursley, on the other hand was nearly apoplectic with rage. His face had turned such a violent shade of purple that Harry had thought for a moment that he was choking to death.
At first he could only gape and point to the door in a wordless demand for them to get out of his house. But that didn't last long and the yelling came soon afterwards.
"GET OUT! GET OUT NOW!" Vernon Dursley roared. "I WILL NOT HAVE MORE FREAKS IN MY HOUSE."
He turned to Harry. "It's bad enough that we have to put up with you, Boy. I am certainly not going to put up with more filth like them."
Harry looked at his uncle, a dangerous light in his eyes. "You can call me what you want, but don't you dare call them names."
Vernon Dursleys eyes looked like they were going to pop out at this statement. "This is my house, boy. If you don't like what I say you can leave. In fact, leave anyway. I have had enough of you and your nonsense."
Harry had been fully ready to leave at that point but Hermione had saved the day.
"Kindly lower your voice," she said in a calm voice.
Vernon Dursley turned on her. "Don't you..."
"Shut up," Hermione hissed, cutting him off mid rant. "You may not have noticed but you are screaming and probably everybody on this street can hear you. It doesn't make any difference to us, but it might to you."
This shut him up quickly enough and his mouth gaped open as he stared at her in shock.
"Now maybe you can listen to us for a minute before you make any hasty decisions. We need to stay here with Harry till his birthday and after that we will be gone for good. We are ready to pay you money as compensation for the duration of our stay," Hermione said quietly. Inside she was seething in anger as she saw the raw hate directed at Harry and guessed what he had to go through nearly every day he had spent here. But she knew that she couldn't afford to let any of the anger show.
Vernon Dursleys eyes glinted greedily at the mention of money.
"How much money are we talking about?"
Hermione had sighed and quoted a figure. What followed was a brief bit of negotiating after which a price of a thousand pounds was agreed upon.
"You will have to arrange for your own meals. We won't feed you."
Hermione nodded wearily and all three made to go upstairs.
"And remember while you are staying here I will not tolerate any abnormality or wishy-washy stuff."
Hermione nodded again. "Very well."
"And I want no hanky panky going on in my house," he said looking meaningfully at Hermione and then Ron and Harry.
Hermione went a bright red and both Harry and Ron raised their wands to hex him, but Hermione stopped them. "No, it's not worth it. Let's just go up."
Harry marched up angrily, his face red in shame. When they were finally all inside the room he closed the door and leaned against it weakly.
He could almost feel his friends eyes on him, those pity filled eyes. He knew what they were thinking and it was more than he could bear.
When he had finally opened his eyes he saw both Ron and Hermione busy unpacking their trunks. They hadn't said a word about it to him and he was more grateful than he could express in words.
The next few weeks were no better and Harry was almost ready to just leave and let the protections go to hell. Only his promise to Dumbledore had kept him there.
Their days were mostly spent up in the small bedroom, discussing their plans for after they left Privet Drive. All three of them agreed that finding all the remaining Horcruxes was going to be extremely difficult and destroying them even more so. At first they didn't even know where to begin.
Slowly over the weeks plans were laid out. They discussed what needed to be done in detail and made their preparations. A lot of the day was spent reading Hermione's collection of advanced Defense books and doing research on anything and everything that they thought would be useful in bringing down Voldemort.
They ate food in nearby fast food outlets, grabbing what they could, when they could.
The whole stay had put all three of them on edge. Spending so much time locked up in a small room with the entire fate of the wizarding world hanging on their shoulders was more stress than they could handle at times. The Dursleys attitude didn't make things easier.
Then, about a week after they arrived Dudley had begun to ogle Hermione and kept trying to spy on her in the bathroom… it was all Harry and Ron could do to restrain themselves from hexing him into the next week.
For Harry it had been another kind of hell. He had noticed the stolen glances Ron and Hermione exchanged... those kisses they stole when they thought he wasn't looking. Holding each others hand without even realizing it...
At those times Harry missed Ginny so much that he had trouble breathing. It felt like a part of him was missing, like he would forever be incomplete. He had thought the passage of time would ease the pain, but it only intensified it. He began to look forward to the day when they would get back to the Burrow. It would be torture to see her everyday, but it would strengthen his resolve to save the Wizarding world as well.
They had been relieved to get away from Privet Drive. Harry had not even turned around too look back at the place he had spent his entire childhood. As far as he was concerned he never wanted to see it again.
And now they were here... at Bill and Fleur's wedding. And all he could think of was Ginny...
He so badly wanted to go over to her and take her into his arms and beg her to take him back. But every time he even thought about it the weight of the prophecy crushed all his courage.
No, he couldn't put her in danger. It didn't matter how much he needed her. She wouldn't die. He wouldn't be able to bear that.
When they had arrived at the Burrow the first thing his eyes had sought had been her. He absently shook Charlie and Mr. Weasley's hand and smiled weakly when Fred and George gave him cracking slaps on the back. He didn't even snap out of it when he felt himself being pulled into one of Molly Weasley's crushing hugs.
A huge feeling of anticipation was clawing inside him as his eyes darted all around, looking for her.
"She's at the Lovegood's," Bill said quietly, coming up from behind him. "She's gone to help Luna capture a… what was it…? Hey Charlie! What was that thing they were trying to catch?"
Charlie rolled his eyes. "A wooly, tree hugging snoogle."
Bill snorted. "Yeah, she should be back soon though."
A tight band formed around Harry's heart. She knew they were coming here today… Was she that angry at him? Had she stopped loving him already?
She had come back soon enough and had been in high spirits, laughing about Luna's antics. His heart had leapt into his throat at seeing her and it felt as if time had stopped moving. He had missed her so much. Had she missed him too? Had she counted the seconds like he had? His eyes held a hundred questions for her. But to his surprise she had barely stopped for a few moments to greet him casually before going up to her room to get ready for the wedding.
He had been stunned. She was behaving as if they had never gone out. Was he that easy to get over?
And now he could see her... laughing and joking with a blushing Neville. Harry suddenly had the insane urge to strangle the quiet, soft-spoken boy.
He knew that he had been brooding ever since he had arrived at the Burrow. He had felt the worried glances directed at him. He hated himself for not being able to smile, for worrying the people that cared for him.
He sighed and put his face in his hands. How had everything gone so wrong?
OoOoOoO
The night was pleasantly warm.
In honor of the married couple, Molly and Arthur had decorated the back yard of the Burrow. A small dance floor was set up, and around it, fairy lights were hung to give a soft romantic glow for the dancers.
Ginny was wandering through the garden in the soft light of the fairies placed along the path. It was difficult for her to ignore Harry when all she wanted to do was slap some sense into him. She was angry that he hadn't even written to her since the last time they saw each other at Dumbledore's tomb. They were still friends after all… weren't they?
She couldn't lie to herself though; she still loved him with a passion that scared her. No one would ever measure up to her Harry; she didn't even want anyone to try. She was angry with him, part of her even hated them for being such a Hero, but then… if he weren't as noble, and sweet as he was, she wouldn't love him the way she still did.
She reached into her mother's flower bed and picked a small daisy from the patch. When she was little, she had always wanted a vase of the friendly flower by her bedside. They had made her smile, even when she had been sad or sick. It was something that could bring her hope even in the dark days to come.
She twirled the flower in her fingers, playing with the long rubbery stem. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her. She gasped loudly as a pair of hands covered her eyes from behind. She reached up to touch them, and they didn't feel familiar. "Neville?" she guessed, though knowing the shy boy wouldn't have played this children's game of Guess who?
When the person remained silent Ginny thought hard about who else was at the wedding. The wind blew gently and Ginny was rewarded with a scent of soft musky cologne. "Pierre?" she asked, knowing that she had guessed correctly when the hands were removed from her eyes.
She turned around to see Fleur's cousin grinning at her. His dark hair was shining in the fairy lights, and his kind blue eyes were grinning at her. He had just graduated from Beauxbatons a few weeks ago, and he was keen on having Ginny's company anywhere he went. Most of the time she had politely refused him, but tonight she had another agenda, and it had everything to do with reminding Harry that she was single now, and very desirable.
"Pardon me Ginevra, but I couldn't help but notice that the most beautiful girl at the wedding did not have a dance partner," Pierre said in his soft accent. Ginny blushed a bit at this praise, and smiled widely at her new cousin.
"Would you like to dance, Pierre?" she asked and felt a twinge of guilt when his eyes lit up. 'It's for Harry;' she told herself in resignation, 'you are doing this for Harry.'
"I would be honored," he replied and kissed her hand gently. She put her hand in the crook of his arm, and he led the way to the dance floor.
As they stepped out onto the floor a new song began to play, this one soft and romantic. Pierre tenderly wrapped his arms around her and cradled her to his chest. Ginny was a bit more hesitant to put her arms around him, but she caught sight of Harry's astonished face and it gave her the courage to relax in Pierre's arm, and lay her head against his chest.
"You dance beautifully Ginevra," he whispered in her ear. She smiled up at him softly, for a few moments she had been able to pretend she was in Harry's arms; the two men were about the same height and build.
"I've never had a good dance partner before," she admitted and inclined her head toward Neville and Luna who were struggling to find a rhythm, as he kept stepping on her toes and she was gliding dreamily around.
"I can see what you mean, they are quite a pair aren't they?" he asked with interest. Ginny's heart was aching for her two friends. They were so different, yet so alike, and soon they might be thrust apart by the war, before they had even gotten the chance to be together. They might end up like her and Harry. Her heart plummeted like a ton of bricks at this thought. No, she and Harry would be together again, it was just a matter of time…
"May I cut in?" asked a tense voice.
OoOoOoO
Harry frowned as he saw the tall, dark haired boy place his hands over Ginny's eyes. He had seen him around before, he was Fleur's cousin – Perry… no Pierre… yes, Pierre.
He saw the exchange between him and Ginny with narrowed eyes and scowled when he saw him kiss her hand. It took all his willpower not to jump up and hex the damn frenchie with some of the more vicious curses he was saving for Voldemort.
He was sure that Ginny would snap at him for his cheek and send him packing. So it was with a sinking heart that he saw her being led onto the dancing floor quite willingly.
As he watched them dance together various emotions raged through him, leaving him weak. Anger, betrayal, and the beginnings of a loss so immense that it left him staggering.
How could she leave him so easily? How could she? Was it that easy to forget him? Did his love mean that little that she didn't even wait a month?
He saw Ginny relax into Pierre's arms and saw him hold her a bit tighter. A red film descended before his eyes and before he knew it he found himself standing in front of them and tapping Pierre rudely on his arm.
"May I cut in?"
OoOoOoO
Ginny turned her sight from Luna and Neville to look straight into Harry's emerald eyes. "Pierre and I are in the middle of a dance Harry," she said coolly, "if you would like a dance, you can wait your turn."
Harry glared daggers at Pierre and returned to his seat, watching them dance with an angry look on his face.
"What is wrong with him?" Pierre asked, genuinely confused.
"I don't know," Ginny said tersely. She wrapped her arms around Pierre once again, resolved to finish up her dance in silence.
The dance ended and an uncomfortable silence passed between them. "Would you like some butterbeer, Ginevra?" Pierre asked nervously. Ginny nodded absentmindedly and began walking over to Harry.
He was looking resignedly down at the ground when she stood in front of him. "What do you want?" he asked angrily as he looked up at her. "Do you want to gloat that you have already found someone else?"
Pain flashed across her face at these words. Did Harry really think he was replaceable? "I was going to ask you to dance," she said softly, "but it seems as though you already have a partner…"
Harry looked around in confusion and then turned back to look at her. "Who?"
"You have your bitterness to keep you company, I can't compete with that," she admitted.
Harry bowed his head, trying to control his anger and frustration. "You don't belong with him," he said, lifting his head up suddenly and taking her by surprise.
The surprise didn't last for long however.
"Who gave you the right to choose who I go out with?" she demanded angrily. "You have no right to be jealous, remember? You broke up with me, not the other way around."
She could see the hurt register on his face, but she didn't care. He was going to have to make a final decision. He couldn't just break up with her, and then decide who she did and didn't date, or even who she belonged with. She made her own decisions, and even if they were the same as his, it didn't matter, she was the one making them. Not Harry.
"Ginny I…" he began, but she wasn't done yet, she still had a month's worth of anger to let out.
"You had your turn to talk," she said angrily. They hadn't noticed that everyone at the wedding was now watching them argue on the dance floor. The music had even stopped playing. "Damn you, Harry! You think that you still have rights with me, but you don't. You lost any right to me that day at the tomb."
"I was trying to save your life!" he yelled back. Their faces were red with anger and yelling, Ginny noticed that he had a tick in his cheek when he got angry, but far from thinking it was adorable, as she would have done before, it just made her even angrier.
"I know the real reason why you broke up with me!" she screamed at him. Harry froze as her statement hit him.
"I told you why I broke up with you, I don't want you to be a target," Harry said in confusion.
"No, that isn't the real reason," Ginny said angrily, "You don't want me coming with you. You don't want me to fight by your side."
"I don't want to go to your funeral!" Harry yelled at her, pulling her back into his arms.
She struggled against him furiously, wrenching herself free. "That's not your damned decision. It's mine, Harry. I'm not going to stay at home like a good girl while you are off fighting Voldemort!"
"I love you, can't you understand that?" Harry demanded. "I'm trying to keep you safe because I don't want you to die."
They stared at each other furiously for what seemed like forever. Each trying to convince the other. The wedding was forgotten, the guests were forgotten and the damned war was forgotten. At that moment they were only aware of each other.
Ginny reached up and pulled him down to her in a fierce kiss. They clung to each other tightly, their passion fueled by their anger. When Ginny finally pulled away she looked up into his eyes. "I love you too, and I am coming with you," she said determinedly.
Harry looked down into her determined eyes and knew that nothing he said or did would sway her. In a way he was glad, he knew he couldn't do this without her. He looked into her eyes and nodded wearily.
OoOoOoO
A/N – Tell us how you liked it. Your reviews will help us to improve and come out with better chapters