Title: Losing Faith

Summary: It's the summer after Ginny's sixth year, and Voldemort is dead. But still, things are not how they should be. How will everyone cope now that the worst threat is over? HG RHr

Genre: Angst/Drama

Rating: T

Disclaimer: It's all JK Rowling's. 'Nuff said.

A/N: So the story is nearing its end; there are a few loose ends still to tie up. Thank you for the reviews of course – griffindorgirl-12, dancedance, RexS and starrydreamz. I'm reckoning on one more chapter after this and an epilogue.

V I V I V

TRUTH AND TOGETHER

The last time Ginny had been to St Mungo's was just after the Hogsmeade attack, when her mother had allowed her, Ron and Hermione to briefly visit Harry in the Critical Unit of Spell Damage. She shivered at the memory, unconsciously shifting closer to her boyfriend's side, and tried not to look at the many ailing wizards and witches seated in the wooden chairs in the waiting area and queuing up to speak to the Welcome Witch. Harry, seeming to sense her discomfort, squeezed her hand briefly before following Healer Gregory to the front desk, ignoring the protests from those in line.

"Alan!" The Welcome Witch took one look at her colleague's face and blanched at the dirtied, bloodstained man. "What on earth happened?"

"Run in with Death Eaters." Gregory said dryly, wincing as he pressed a hand to his ribs. "I'm all right, nothing that can't be patched up with the wave of a wand. I'm actually looking for Healer Vanessa Taylor – she should have been brought here about an hour ago."

"Oh, yes – such a lovely girl, and so young…" The Welcome Witch said sadly, shaking her head, and Ginny felt her insides freeze at the despondent tone of the older woman. Beside her, Harry stiffened, and Gregory leant in, his eyes desperate.

"Del – where is she? What ward?"

"She's in the Critical Unit of Spell Damage, Alan."

It's not going to end, not ever, just because You-Know-Who's dead doesn't mean that it's over because his pathetic minions are going to keep coming for revenge and they're going to kill or torture everyone Harry loves until he dies or goes crazy and it'll never be better, not til we're all dead or crazy or the world is ruled by You-Know-Who even though he's DEAD!

"Ginny!"

She came to herself with a start, sucking in a deep breath as she realised she had forgotten to breathe. Healer Gregory was already halfway down the hallway to the elevators and Harry was looking like he desperately wanted to follow, but was held back by Ginny rooted to the spot.

"S-sorry." She muttered, flushing with embarrassment, and fell into step beside him. "I just – I don't think…" She trailed off, suddenly overwhelmed with a wave of self-loathing. She had known Ness for less than a week, what right did she have to act that way? Harry and Ness seemed to have established a sibling's relationship, the same kind Ginny and Luna had had. And Harry had already lost so much…

Shaking herself out of her dark thoughts, she straightened her face into what she hoped was a calm expression as they stepped out onto the Spell Damage floor, despite the tight, painful twisting of her stomach and the tears clogging her throat.

"Critical Unit, there." Ron pointed out a set of double doors that a wizard in lime robes had just come through, the sign proclaiming that visitors were restricted to family members only. "Come on."

Hermione shook her head, frowning. "It says family members only, Ron."

To Ginny's surprise, Ron reared back on his girlfriend, eyes flashing with an anger that she had seen many times during their years growing up together but never directed to Hermione, who he positively doted on. "Family members, Hermione? Family members? You really think that those Muggles are going to be visiting? We're his family, and I'm not going to let any bloody Healer tell me different!" With his point firmly made, he strode to the doors, pushed them open with more force than was really necessary, and only made it halfway into the ward before stopping in his tracks.

Ginny ran after her brother, aware of Hermione hot on her heels, and followed his gaze to a bed at the far end of the room, the only one that did not have the curtains drawn as a Healer was bending over the bed. She could just make out Harry's mop of dark hair, a white arm lying limp on the sheets, and couldn't stop the cry from leaving her lips as the Healer stepped back to let them get a full view of Harry. He was so thin and white and bruised and fragile, and his eyes were so sunken into his face he looked dead, and before Ginny really registered what she was doing she had turned and run from the room, the tears already streaming freely down her face.

Harry was standing just outside those same double doors, swinging back towards him after Healer Gregory had stepped inside, and he looked torn between running away, just as Ginny had, or going to Ness' side.

She shook herself out of her stupor and reached for his hand, not knowing what to say other than to pray that Ness would be okay.

"I can't go in there." He said hoarsely, backing away from the doors, dragging her with him. "Not – it's too much, I'm sorry, I can't…"

Ginny soothed him, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him close to her. "It's okay." She whispered in his ear. "You don't have to be sorry. You don't have to go in there. It's okay." She found herself repeating the words over and over in hushed tones, like a mantra, until he relaxed into her embrace and buried his head in her neck. His tears soaked her skin as her own wet his hair, as she wondered when it had all started to go terribly wrong.

He pushed away from her several moments later, eyes still fixed on the closed doors, and sucked in a deep breath. "Ginny…" His tone, despondent and shaky, made her arms drop to her sides and she took a few steps backwards, not liking the look on his face. "We need to talk."

The most hated words in the history of a relationship hanging in the air between them, Ginny wondered what she had done wrong, before Harry's eyes widened and he seemed to realise what he had just said.

"Oh God, not like that – I didn't mean that, Ginny! How can you – bloody hell, after all you've done, I wouldn't…." He trailed off, stammering over his words, and she felt a dull flush creep up her cheeks.

"Oh." She replied quietly, inwardly rejoicing. "I thought… you know, that was – those are the classic words before a break up."

Harry sank into one of the wooden chairs set against the wall opposite the Critical Unit, smiling warily up at her. "No, never." He insisted, reaching forward and taking her hands in his own. "I just – being here reminded me of – you know…"

She nodded fervently. "It reminded me too." She agreed, relieved that she wasn't the only one who had had bad memories come flying back to her.

"I think you need to know the truth." Harry said slowly, tugging her down to sit next to him. "You deserve to."

"Is now really the right time, Harry?" Ginny questioned, swallowing hard, suddenly terrified.

"Yes. If I don't tell you now, I may never…" Her boyfriend insisted, his green eyes boring into hers and making her feel even more nervous about his secrecy. "I want it over with, you hear? I don't want us to have any more secrets. I hate keeping things from you. It sucks." The last said with a quirk of a smile, so unlike Harry, and Ginny couldn't stop herself from snorting in amusement.

"Okay." Taking in a deep breath, she squeezed his hands, nodding. "Okay."

"I don't remember much after I – after Voldemort died." He began in such a quiet voice that she had to lean forward to hear him. "I just remember waking up in there;" he waved vaguely towards the unit, wincing slightly. "And everything was different."

"Different how?" Ginny asked when he trailed off, looking pensive.

"I thought I was going crazy or something." Harry sighed, scuffing the heel of his foot on the floor. "And don't think I am crazy after I tell you this but – I could see things, flashes of memories that weren't mine, and I could feel – other people's emotions, just briefly, but enough to get me really confused." He ran a hand through his hair, looking harassed.

"How?" Ginny whispered, afraid to break the silence.

"I didn't want to tell the Healers." Harry continued, taking his hand from hers and stuffing both hands into his pockets. "Thought they'd send me to the psychiatric unit or something… but well, I hadn't gained proper control of my magic since, and it kept – every time I'd get a whiff of someone else's emotions, or a flash of a memory, my magic would go crazy… it kept breaking things… I nearly seriously hurt several Healers." He winced, recalling the memory, and Ginny felt understanding being to settle in. He hadn't wanted to hurt anyone he loved… "So I left." Harry confirmed her suspicions. "I spoke to Healer Gregory, and he recommended Ness. She collected me that night."

"Why – why was that happening?" Ginny asked, a frown settling between her eyes. "Does it still happen now?"

Harry shook his head. "Ness taught me to gain control of my magic again. Occlumency helped with the memory flashes, and I learnt to block out other people's emotions." He shrugged. "Gregory thought that it was the legilimency that sent everything – haywire. I mean, I'd never even attempted it before, and against the most accomplished Legilimens in Merlin know how long… it sent everything crazy."

"When I came to Venice…" Ginny breathed, understanding settling in. "You were afraid that all that work would – seeing me, you were afraid that it would all amount to nothing."

"But it didn't." Harry said, a crooked smile crossing his features. "It just made me realise that I was ready to come home."

Come home… the words made Ginny's insides warm, and she felt all the pent-up frustration and anger she had felt towards her boyfriend rapidly start to disappear. She smiled back, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell us, though? We would have been able to – at least understand why you left." She asked, and Harry shifted his shoulders into another shrug.

"I guess – I just thought that you'd all think I was going crazy or something. I didn't know whether you'd believe me."

"So little faith in us." Ginny sighed, lifting her eyes to his. "Harry, you don't need to hide things from me, or any of us. We'll listen. I promise."

He relaxed, tearing his eyes from hers and returning his gaze to the Critical Unit doors, Ness back on his mind. "She has to be okay." He said firmly, as if trying to convince himself. "She's got me this far. She's – she's a lot stronger than she looks, Ginny."

Ginny nodded; at first sight Ness was small and fragile and looked as if she could break at any moment but had dispelled those assumptions within half an hour of being in Ginny's company. "She'll be okay." Ginny echoed, entwining her fingers with his and leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. "She will. She'll be fine."

V I V I V

"Breaking news from Venice, Italy," A voice intoned over the magical radio that Molly had installed not long before Voldemort's demise, finding that they could no longer rely solely on the Daily Prophet. At the sound of the location, Molly tensed up at the kitchen counter, remembering her daughter's whereabouts. "Death Eaters struck several wizarding homes along Corvine Road, it is believed in search of Harry Potter, who is rumoured to be living there."

Molly's hand flew to her mouth as she let out a surprised gasp. Harry, in Venice? Her emotions fluctuated wildly between relief at the realisation that she knew, however vaguely, where he was, and worry for him and Ginny.

"Luckily there were no deaths, and only three casualties, all of whom are currently in critical condition in St. Mungo's hospital – Rhone Montgomery, Maria Tusking and Vanessa Taylor."

"Vanessa Taylor…" Molly whispered; her eyes widened as she instantly recognised the name. Even the comfort that Ginny's name had not been mentioned didn't help much; she found herself lunging towards the fireplace, throwing floo powder into the grate and calling for her husband.

"What is it, Molly?" Arthur's head spun around in the flames as he frowned, concerned, up at her. "You look pale – are you feeling all right?"

"There's been a Death Eater attack in Venice." Molly gabbled out, hurriedly taking off her apron. "I heard it on the radio. They didn't mention Ginny, but Healer Taylor was taken to St. Mungo's – Arthur, we have to get Ginny back!"

"Ginny will probably be there as well - I'll meet you there." He said instantly, and his head spun around once more before disappearing from sight. Molly was just about to follow when she remembered Ron was upstairs alone, and would wonder where she had got to. Panic overtaking common sense, she hurried up the stairs with remarkable agility for her, pushing open her son's bedroom door without knocking.

"Mum!" Ron yelped, jumping up from his desk. "Don't you knock?"

"I'm going to St Mungo's." She informed him. "There's been a Death Eater attack on Healer Taylor's home."

"Ginny?" Ron asked, his eyes widening in worry, as he followed her down the rickety staircase.

"She's okay, I think, but Healer Taylor was injured." Molly threw a pinch of floo powder into the fire. "Ginny won't know what to do – we have to find her."

"I'm coming." Ron said, even as his mother stepped into the fireplace and shouted out the hospital's name. He spun out of one of the many fireplaces into the hospital waiting room, very nearly barreled down by a Healer dashing past in a blur of green, and only just caught sight of his parents backs retreating down the corridor. Quickening his pace, Ron found that his long legs easily drew him level to Molly and Arthur, and the three of them ascended the stairs in a tense, worried silence.

"Healer Taylor is in the Critical Unit." Arthur said as they moved, his voice weary and looking far older than his years. "I doubt Ginny would go wandering around; I just hope she has had the sense to stay put."

Ron wisely kept his mouth shut – remembering Ginny's desperate need to go back into the midst of the action on that fateful day in Hogsmeade, it wouldn't surprise him if she was trying to help the Aurors in Venice, despite not having turned seventeen yet. His suspicions were dashed the moment he spotted his only sister, hunched up on a wooden chair opposite the closed doors to the unit, her head resting on a strange boy's shoulder and her hand clutched in his. Letting out a strangled cry of indignation, completely forgetting about his worry for Ginny, Ron leapt forward, only just stopping himself from tearing the stranger away from her.

"Ron!" Ginny scrambled up, her face splitting into a small smile, which widened at the sight of her parents not far behind. "How did you know that we – I – was here?"

"It was on the radio." Ron said, eyeing the boy suspiciously. "We heard that the Healer you're staying with was injured and figured you'd be here… though not in the clutches of some boy."

"Ronald!" Molly gasped, scandalized, while Ginny's jaw dropped and the boy allowed a small, self-satisfied smirk that Ron didn't like in the slightest. Arthur, after giving his daughter a brief, one-armed hug in greeting, was hovering by the doors, peering in.

"I know you're probably lonely after Harry buggered off," Ron continued, ignoring his mother's warning. "But really, Ginny, cheating on him – I thought you were better than that, and after everything that he's been through."

The boy's smirk was unmistakable now, and Ron turned on him. "What're you smiling at anyway?" He demanded before he could stop himself, motioning towards his and Ginny's entwined fingers. "Let go of her!"

Ginny and the stranger exchanged amused glances that just made Ron's irritation grow; Molly huffed and sighed, obviously itching to have a proper greeting with her daughter but unable to with the impending fight. "I think we'd better tell him before his head explodes." Ginny suggested, and the stranger nodded, plucking his wand from his pocket. Instinctively, Ron reached for his own, automatically assuming a fighting stance that fell to confusion when the boy pointed his wand tip to his own forehead.

"Finite incantatem."

Ginny still found it disconcerting to watch Glyn's features merge into Harry's, but with the astounded look on her brother's face she decided it was worth it, trying hard to hold back giggles. Molly let out a shrill shriek that nearly pierced all their eardrums, and descended on the pair of them, squeezing them tightly.

"Oh, Harry, thank goodness! Have you any idea how worried we all were? Are you okay? Where have you been?"

"Might want to stop you there, Mum." Ginny mumbled into her mother's shoulder, struggling away. "Because that will take a while, and there are more important things at the moment."

Ron was still staring suspiciously at Harry. "How can you prove you're Harry Potter?" He demanded, and in a strike of irony Ginny realised she had never asked Harry to prove he really was him, in disguise.

"First year, on the train, the first ever chocolate frog card I got – Dumbledore." Harry returned automatically, quirking a grin. Ron hesitated, thinking back, then nodded, stepping forward to draw his best friend into a brief, manly hug.

"Welcome back, mate. You have a lot to answer for, I hope you know."

Ginny winced, but her boyfriend simply nodded in acknowledgement, turning to offer a tentative smile at the gaping Mr. Weasley. "Hullo, Mr. Weasley."

Arthur pumped Harry's outstretched hand enthusiastically. "Harry, it's good to see you, boy! How did you manage to come across our Ginny here? Visiting someone?"

"Oh Merlin…" Ginny groaned, burying her face in her hands. "This is going to take forever."

"Patience, my dear." Harry tugged at her hand, before turning back to face the trio. "I was actually staying with Ginny in Venice – Ness – I mean, Vanessa Taylor was my Healer as well."

Ron snapped his fingers. "That makes sense! Your letter saying you'd seen Ginny – confused the hell out of us – me and Hermione, that is."

Harry nodded. "I've been in Venice since I left St. Mungo's – in disguise, as the guy you just saw and almost pummeled – and it was sheer coincidence that Ginny was recommended the same Healer. Gave me quite a shock when she turned up, I tell you."

"And me." Ginny added, as Ron reddened at Harry's remark.

Molly was tearing up, her hands pressed to her mouth in horror. "Oh, but you must be quite close to Healer Taylor, if you've been with her this long."

Harry nodded, shrugging slightly and avoiding all gazes. "Yeah, well – guess I've come to think of her as a – well, a sister, like Hermione, I guess."

"She'll be fine." Ginny repeated, squeezing his hand. "Don't worry, Harry, she'll be fine."

V I V I V

As soon as he neared the end of the ward, Alan Gregory found he could not move a step further, his eyes trained on the curtains closed around her bed. There was a great deal of activity going on behind them, for despite the Silencing Charms that had obviously been put up the curtains continuously moved, as if several people were brushing past them. Swallowing down the painful lump in his throat and reminding himself that he was a Healer, that he should know how to deal with these sorts of things, Gregory forced his numb legs into motion, slipping behind the curtain with the pretense of assisting. Not that any of his colleagues would have minded, though he didn't usually specialize in the Critical Unit patients – Gregory was still a firm favourite of many.

"Hullo, Alan." One of the male Healers said cheerily from where he stood at the end of the bed, waving a wand over the statistical chart to monitor changes. "What happened to you? You don't look too good, if you don't mind me saying."

"Er – got caught up in the Venice attack." Gregory mumbled, unable to take his eyes off the awful sight of Vanessa's bruised, swollen and battered face, brow furrowed with pain even during unconsciousness. "How is she?"

"Doesn't look good." The other male Healer said frankly, pocketing his own wand and stepping back. "It looks like there's too much internal bleeding. 'Course, we've used all the healing spells we can, but they're better healed with the Resarcio potion, and we can't get potions down her right now – her body's simply rejecting them."

"Rejecting them how? If you can't get them down her throat, inject them – do anything!" Gregory commanded, trembling slightly, so many thoughts going through his mind at the prospect of Vanessa's death. Such a valued, talented Healer… too young… deserves to live like everyone else… I think I've fallen for her…

The last struck him hard, and he struggled to turn his mind back to what the Healer was saying.

"We've tried it all, Alan. Her body simply goes into convulsions and rejects it every time, and it stretches the internal wounds. If we try it once more, then she will bleed to death."

Gregory sat himself down heavily on the one available chair, aware that if he hadn't, he would have simply fallen onto the floor. His usual business-like approach had been taken over by a fuzzy, distant mist in his brain, and he couldn't think further than the realisation that Vanessa might die.

He remembered meeting her in training school, the ever-smiling girl who piped up before everyone else and would have annoyed the rest of the trainers if she hadn't had such a happy-go-lucky attitude. As it was, she still managed to piss off plenty of people, even Gregory at several points, but he had seen past that to her confident, bubbly, laid-back personality.

"What are you going to do, then?" He found himself asking, and gained himself several sympathetic glances.

"Keep trying, of course." One of the Healers scoffed. Anything else was out of the question. "We just have to rely solely on the healing spells instead of the Resarcio potion, and hope that it's enough."

Pray that it's enough, and it has to be enough, it just has to…

Struggling to compose himself, Gregory rose with a dignified air and left, to tell Harry and Ginny of the devastating consequences.