Chapter 21
Ginny awoke with tears falling down her cheeks, her body shaking with fear. She had had a nightmare again. Tom Riddle and Draco Malfoy, they had both been after her. They had threatened her with Harry's life again. Her families lives. They said that either she would die or they would die. It was a horrible choice. It had felt so real, she could see their faces so clearly, their touches like real ones.
Ginny slid out of bed cautiously and turned on the light. She couldn't stop crying, she wondered if life would ever be close to what it was before. Eating cantaloup with Harry had been normal, she had tried to forget then, when they were having fun, and she had, but not for very long.
She slid the door open and stood staring at the light seeping through the cracks of Harry's door.
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Harry woke up from a nightmare. His emotions were raw. At first it had been his mother, screaming again in his mind. Over and over he heard her, making him sob. Then it had been Voldermort, standing there, in front of his mother, holding him as a baby, as he killed her. Then he had been fuming with anger, shaking. Suddenly the dream had changed, he was lying on the floor again as Malfoy made Ginny kiss him, made her make love to him. Harry felt so angry all at once. His anger boiled in his stomach, all through his body.
Suddenly he woke up, wrenching up in bed, his blankets were tangled around him. He had beads of sweat on his forehead, he didn't bother to wipe away. As he looked around the room his eyes stopped on the doorway, the light was on in the hall. He rushed towards it and threw it open.
There stood Ginny in all of her glamor. Well... in her pajamas and messy hair at least, but that was glamorous enough for Harry. She was crying and Harry quickly put his arms around her. He felt a little... say uncomfortable with his shirt off in front of her. But she didn't notice and her tears just landed against his bare skin.
His emotions suddenly changed, he just wanted to protect her, but he hadn't done that before, in the chamber of secrets he had, barely, but not with Draco Malfoy. It made him sick to think about that so he just held her tighter and concentrated on the smell of her hair.
Ginny always smelled softly of lavender and roses. Her skin was soft and smoothed in the scent.
"Don't let them hurt me." she whispered, her voice cracking with sob.
"I won't." he closed his eyes and tried to think of all the ways that he could protect her, lock her in a high tower, burry her underground, there weren't many options.
Harry picked her up in his arms, her breath against his bare chest. He carried her into her room and lay her under the sheets. She was still holding onto him, and she wasn't letting go. Her short little, chipped pink painted nails scratched against his skin gently.
Harry wanted to yell, scream... he didn't know what... other than kiss her, he didn't know what else he wanted to do. He loved her. The way she smelled, the way her hair fell against her face covering the tears. The way her little body fit against his when he was against her.
"Don't leave Harry."
He loved the way she said his name, as if that's the only thing she wanted to say for the rest of her life.
"I..."
"Just hold me." she sounded like a little kid when they were scared, just wanting to sleep in Mom and Dad's bed.
He fell under the covers the softness encircling him, his hands finding her waist. He pulled her towards him and just held her, the rest of the night.