Chapter 9: Vice

Ginny tossed and turned as sleep continued to allude her. She was never comfortable with the hard wooden floor beneath the thin padding and course nylon of the sleeping bag. It was a far cry from the soft woolen blankets her Mother had knitted with love. Ginny missed her Mother more than ever, wishing she had the chance to say goodbye. Ginny knew there was a genuine possibility she would never see her family again. Merlin knows what tomorrow will bring.

Tomorrow kept her from her slumber, restlessly tossing and turning all through the night. Tomorrow they would infiltrate the Ministry and attempt to steal the Horcrux from the head of the new Muggle-born Registration Commission, Delores Umbridge. That she was not the head of a committee meant she was officially the sole person deciding the fate of the rounded-up Muggleborns, making Umbridge Judge, jury, and executioner, just the way the Toad liked things.

With the Ministry under Riddle's control, they would be entering the belly of the beast. If one thing went wrong, it could be a matter of life and death. Ginny didn't want to think of what could happen if her identity was revealed and if they caught Harry, Ginny refused to think about it.

The last time they had invaded the Ministry had ended in death. Ginny had been lucky only to suffer a broken ankle. She had suffered worse injuries roughhousing at the burrow. Merlin, did it hurt, though. But Ginny still remembered Ron and Hermione's severe injuries, and when she found Luna lying motionless on the floor, she had been sure her friend was dead. Ginny had sobbed in relief when her Rennervate immediately had Luna up and itching to join the fight, even with a cracked rib.

People continued to underestimate Luna, but Ginny learned Luna was a fighter that day, at least when she had to be. Ginny could have kissed Luna when Remus Lupin arrived that morning and revealed that Luna had told her family that the rumours of Ginny's demise were greatly exaggerated. Instead, Remus smiled as he saw Ginny and exclaimed. "Luna told us you were still among the living, but seeing you is certainly a sight for sour eyes."

If only his visit had ended as jovially. Like Ron and Hermione, Ginny had been overjoyed at the prospect of Lupin joining their quest. It was only when she looked at Harry did her expression fell. Harry wasn't mad, he was livid, and though he kept his temper, he made it very clear what he thought of the expecting Father, running out on his wife and unborn child. Harry's insult's cut a nerve and had Remus drawing his wand on Harry, but Ginny was quicker, banishing Remus back. Remus had shot them a dirty look before leaving in a huff.

Hermione had been beside herself, while Ron understood where Harry was coming from, knowing how Harry felt about the matter. Ginny had been the one to voice her concerns. "We really could've used him, Harry."

"His family needs him more." Harry practically hissed, still staring at where Remus had disapparated from.

"Perhaps, he felt he could better help his family by helping us," Ginny uttered hesitantly, thinking about her own family she left behind. "I mean, it is up to us to defeat..."

"If that were his motive, I'd at least consider it," Harry answered before shaking his head with contempt. "I have no use for lying cowards. We're just an excuse not to face his responsibilities."

Hermione seemed to understand, at least reluctantly, though Ginny could tell she would've still taken any help they could get, no matter the ugly motives. "Do you have to be so hard on him?"

"The truth is harsh, but it would be dishonest to lie to him. Hopefully, he forgives me and, more importantly, becomes a man my Father would be proud of." Harry sighed before leaving the room with a parting comment. "If Remus taking care of his child costs us our friendship, it will be worth it. No child will grow up without a Father because of me."

The words stayed with Ginny, and suddenly she understood Harry much better. The weight on his soul had left him as ragged and aged as the Werewolf. Ginny knew that Harry placed a great deal of importance on his destiny. He was the one who would defeat Tom Riddle or die trying, and for everyone who died, for every child made an orphan by the Dark Lord's forces, Harry would blame himself.

Ginny was broken from her musings by someone rising from their sleeping bags and heading to the kitchen. It was no surprise to Ginny when she found Harry in the kitchen. Harry had not slept, as the bags under his eyes clearly showed. Ginny shook her head and whispered. "You need your sleep, Harry."

Harry jumped at the sound of her voice but relaxed upon seeing her face. "I could say the same to you?"

"What are you, my Father?" Ginny quipped back with a playful smile, but it didn't reach her eyes, and Harry's chuckle was hollow and lifeless. Ginny joined him at the table and poured herself a glass of milk. Harry smirked and whispered, "Can you keep a secret?"

Ginny nodded. Her curiosity spiked when Harry reached into his robes and pulled out a flask of firewhisky, pouring a little into each of their drinks. "I know what you're thinking, but it was a gift from your Father. As much as I'd like to indulge, I can't afford to have more than the occasional nightcap. It would be wrong to get plastered on the job, considering what's at stake."

"Your 17, Harry. It's not a crime to drink now and then, though showing up to the Ministry hung over wouldn't be so wise." Ginny chuckled as she drank the milk and whiskey, feeling toasty and warm.

"Hermione said..."

"I love Hermione, but she's a prude." Ginny scoffed before uttering. "Hermione is still embarrassed about getting tipsy at Slughorn's party."

"Hermione got drunk?" Harry exclaimed in disbelief.

"Nope, she had some firewhisky, Luna snuck in, and Slughorn found out. The old creep couldn't give two bullocks. Hermione, however, was, in her words, "Shocked, Embarrassed and Mortified" Merlin forbid if Hermione Granger is caught drinking."

"Luna snuck in whiskey?" Harry exclaimed, wondering how he didn't know this. Only to remember he was busy being the hero, as usual, instead of living his life.

"Luna's not much of a drinker herself, but she has her vices. A vice that the Ravenclaws would disapprove of." Ginny snorted as she drank more fire-milk. "A friend gave it to her after our 4th year while visiting Amsterdam, and she found it most magical. "

Harry blanched at this, looking over his shoulder before whispering. "You're not talking about...weed?"

Ginny laugh uproariously at Harry's expression. "And I thought Hermione was the prude. You should see your face. Luna's not practicing the dark arts. It's hardly any different from fire whisky. Only it makes you hungry and excessive consumption won't set your liver on fire. Rest in peace to Uncle Algae."

Harry again looked over his shoulder as if someone was watching before asking. "Have you... I mean...you never..."

"Just the once, it made me feel funny." Ginny remised with a glazed look on her face. "Luna wouldn't stop singing, and I couldn't stop laughing. Luna talked me into eating all of mums pudding. Merlin knows what would have happened if Mother found out why we got so hungry."

"The Dursleys always called it a gateway drug. So the fact they despise it is a ringing endorsement," Harry mused before shaking his head. "Luna smokes the stuff."

"Her Father sent her cookies," Ginny uttered with a smile. "Luna likes to go into the Forbidden Forrest and get in touch with nature. Luna says it helps ward off Nargles and Wracksspurts and all that rubbish. She told me that it allowed her to...focus on the present and forget all her troubles, at least for a little. I think it's helped her loads, not that it's made any less weird. Luna's becoming such a beautiful woman."

Ginny sighed sadly. "You know we were friends once, I mean before the DA. We would play together as children. Then her Mother died, and Luna didn't play with me anymore. She keeps a strong face, but I think that loss hurt her in ways she's still recovering. I didn't realize how lonely I was until she returned to my life. I miss her now more than ever."

Harry took her hand in his, offering Ginny comfort as she stared off into space. "She'll be ok. They all will."

"You don't know that. None of us do. We don't even know if we'll make it past tomorrow. The best we can do is hold each other close while we can and fight to the bitter end." Ginny answered as she leaned her head on Harry's shoulder.

Harry sighed bitterly as he drank more whisky-laced milk. "Sometimes I wish I was still in my cupboard under the stairs at the Dursleys. Things were easier back then. I didn't have the weight of the world on my shoulders. People I didn't even know weren't depending on me. Maybe things would be better off if I never..."

"Rubbish!" Ginny scoffed, giving Harry a soft cuff on the back of the head. "Get those thoughts out of your head, you prat!"

"But..."

"We would not be better off without you. We'd be dead." Ginny exclaimed. "If it weren't for you, my bones would be lying in the chamber forever, remember?"

Harry refused to look at her. "You were only down there because Riddle wanted me to rescue you, to confront me."

"Your right, because Riddle wasn't going to use my life force to come back. He was going to kill as many Muggleborns as possible, then go back to sleep. Are you daft, Harry?" Ginny grabbed him by the cheek and snapped. "If you didn't come to Hogwarts, Hermione would've been clubbed to death by a troll, Ron would've been poisoned, and I would have allowed Tom Riddle to come to life. It wouldn't have been 16-year-old Riddle, either. Voldemort would have been drawn to him, ad then that's it. If you weren't there to fight him tooth and nail every step of the way, Tom Riddle would have already won, and those of us who weren't dead would wish they were!"

Ginny closed her eyes and tried not to cry. "I'm sorry you've had to suffer so much, you're still suffering, but without you, we don't stand a chance. I know you want to be normal, but you're not. You're our hero, and you're my hero."Harry wrapped an arm around Ginny's shoulder, and then they leaned against one another. Harry finally spoke in a horse voice. "I don't feel like a hero. I'm tired of people dying for me. Every day Voldemort breaths is a day innocent people die, people, I could have saved if I was stronger or smarter."

"Not everything is your responsibility?" Ginny countered as she pierced his eyes. "You're not responsible for all the evil in the world. You're responsible for doing your part to end this suffering, as am I. Whatever Dumbledore told you about this daft prophecy that makes you think you have to do this is dragon shit. If you wanted to flee to another continent tonight, that would be in your right. You're the Chosen One, not because Voldemort chose you. No, you chose to take up that mantle. You're choosing to be the one to bring Tom Riddle to justice, and it's your choice that defines you, not some silly prophecy that might foretell you were making that choice and nothing more."

Harry couldn't help but laugh under his breath, eyes full of amusement. "The funny thing is, that's exactly what Dumbledore told me. He said it made all the difference in the world, and at the time, it did, but now the weight feels just as heavy."

"Then take a break, have a drink, smoke a joint! Let off some Bloody steam! That's what I'm trying to tell you, Harry! You need to find time for yourself, or you will never win. You can't beat Voldemort with the weight of the world on your shoulder. So you need to learn to shrug now and then." Ginny pointed out as she drank the rest of her burning whisky, leaving her head buzzing. "You need a vice."

Harry stared at her for a moment before giving a slight smile. "Thanks, Ginny."

Ginny frowned, as she could tell Harry hadn't fully gotten the message. Harry continued to nurse his whisky. He was a bit of a lightweight, and this wasn't the relief he needed. Harry needed to forget his problems for a while before they crushed him.

Then a candle was lit over her head as an idea came to mind, a brilliant idea, the best idea Ginny ever had. It was killing two birds with one stone. Ginny turned green and shook her head. Now was not the time to be thinking of killing chickens.

Ginny slid Harry's drink away from him and placed a hand on his leg. Harry stiffened as Ginny leaned forward and whispered in her most seductive voice. "I can be your vice."

Harry Potter, the chosen one, Slayer of basilisks, flyer among dragons, dueller of Dark Lord, squeaked. "Ginny?"

Ginny looked through hooded eyes as she finally lowered her walls and showed Harry just what she thought of him. Ginny smirked with growing confidence as she raised her hand up his leg, only for Harry to stop her before reaching her destination. "Ginny...we can't... now is not the time..."

"Now's a perfect time." Ginny purred before whispering. "We have nothing better to do, and everyone else is asleep. You're under so much pressure, and you must let it go, just for tonight."

"But..." Harry's protest was cut off as Ginny's claimed his lips, snogging him with an ardor she had never felt before.

Harry continued to protest, causing Ginny to pull back and curse. "For fucks sake, Harry, we could die tomorrow! Death eaters and could capture us!

Ginny paced her hands on Harry's cheeks and spoke with tears in her eyes. "We don't know how much time we have left, Harry. Don't you understand I'm trying to help you? I'm not some tramp who would do this with just anyone. I love you! Can't you see that?"

Harry stared and looked away, and Ginny saw it, the flicker of doubt and fear. It wasn't just nobility holding him back. He was afraid. Ginny suddenly wished she could curse the Dursleys to smithereens. Love and lust toiled in her mind, but in the end, she knew she couldn't get one without the other. Slowly, Ginny leaned forward and tenderly kissed Harry with as much love as she could before whispering. "Don't you trust me?"

This got the response she wanted as they stared into each over's eyes. Ginny let Harry see that behind her confident, sultry persona, she was just as scared as he was. Harry was mesmerized by the love he felt as he whispered. "More than anything."

Ginny gave Harry another steamy kiss before whispering in his ear. "Forget about tomorrow, just for tonight."

Ginny slipped her hand further up Harry's leg before he tensed as if electrocuted. Ginny sure felt electricity flooding through her body, though being from a magical background, she called it magic.

Ginny felt the heat of the firewhisky consume her as the sound of Harry's heavy pants drove her mad. Emboldened, Ginny gave into her lust and reached beneath his waistband, and suddenly...

Ginny tried not to panic, even as Harry's eyes widened before rolling up the back of his head. This was Harry, her friend, her love, her childhood crush. The star of her deepest and most desperate fantasies. She focused on that, not the ardent thoughts that threatened to cloud her mind. Tomorrow didn't matter, and neither did the past. All that mattered was right here and now.

Harry groaned as Ginny began to move her hand, and Ginny was reminded that Harry had likely never been touched like this before. Harry wasn't used to affection and had even said his first hug had come from Hermione. Harry opened his eyes and stared at her, torn between shock and awe. His eyes were setting Ginny ablaze, and before he could do something stupid, she whispered. "Close your eyes."

Harry obeyed Ginny's command, giving in to the overwhelming fire that burned greater than the Firewiskey. Harry couldn't think he could only give in to the pleasure greater than he had ever felt. Harry could only hold on to Ginny's waist for dear life as he raced toward oblivion.

"Ginny leaned over Harry, kissing his temple before whispering in his ear. "You are the Chosen One, Harry."

Harry attempted to open his eyes only to receive another intense bout of snogging, sending the blood and all thoughts rushing out of his head. Ginny continued to hiss in his ears. "We're going to beat him, Harry. You've beaten him before, and you'll beat him again. You're a great Wizard, Harry, even if you don't see it. But that's not why you're going to beat him, Harry. You are destined to beat him because you are not alone, and as long as I live, you will never be alone again."

"Ginny!" Harry grunted, delirious from his lover's ministrations, especially as she began to nibble on his ear.

"Your loved, Harry." Ginny panted through tears as her devotion to him overwhelmed her. "Your friends love you, your real family loves you, and I love you so much. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love you."

Ginny kissed Harry's scar before pressing her forehead against Harry's. "I've got you. I'm here, and I'll never let you go."

Young lust and teenage romance can be the best of times and the worst of times. These formative years should be a time of excitement. These moments should not be fueled by fear and desperation, at least not from war and death. Ginny knew that she had lost her childhood innocence long ago, but later it seemed she had more to lose. The two weeks they were together at Hogwarts had been out of someones else's life. When they lived and loved, young, wild, and free. But, despite her age, Ginny felt neither young nor free. They were scared, not just of each over, but of what tomorrow would bring. Their time at Hogwarts had been full of laughter and fun. Now they were drawing comfort from each over in a desperate attempt to escape reality. The innocence of their relationship was lost, not in the physical sense, at least not entirely, but those golden days of Hogwarts, snogging by the lake, laying in each overs arms...were over. Riddle had stolen their carefree romance from them, along with everything else.

But as she led a half-asleep Harry to his sleeping bed and kissed him goodnight, Ginny realized it was ok. They still had each over, at least for one day. Harry slept soundly, for the first time in merlin knows how long, and Ginny knew she had done the right thing. She would get very little sleep that night but could afford to do without it. So Ginny moved her sleeping bag closer to Harry's and gently ran her hands through his hair.

Riddle couldn't rob them of their love. Not even death would ever stop that. Ginny knew this was more important than the loss she had felt. Ginny realized that she could very well be at Hogwart's by now, in another country, wondering where her Harry could be. But as she stared at Harry's sleeping features, despite everything, Ginny felt blessed.

I tried to keep this within the realm of a T rating, but I may end up upgrading to an M in the future. I do get the impression that T-rated fanfictions get more attention. Ministry Chapter is next...for real this time.