Lovers In a Dangerous Time

Chapter Six

Waiting for the Sky to Fall

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Harry didn't sleep much that night as he thought about his conversation with Erin. But what disturbed him more was the information he read in his book. He tossed and turned, the new surroundings of Lupin's house only made his mind drift even more. After several hours of fighting the inevitable he rolled out of bed and headed into the house, still dressed in his clothes from the night before.

The smell of coffee tickled his nose as he found his way through the unnaturally dark house and grimaced as a jet of sunlight managed to escape past the living room curtains. Harry made his way into the kitchen to find Tonks sitting at the table, fully dressed, reading The Prophet. A cup of coffee sat in front of her with a stir stick magically stirring as she read. Harry sat down at the small table and read the headline of the paper, Potter is Hiding in Hogsmead.

Without looking at Harry, Tonks said from behind her paper, "Cups are in the cupboard to the far left, help yourself."

Harry got up and headed to get himself a cup of coffee, "I see the prophet caught on fast."

"Mmm." Tonks mumbled. "I was just reading the article, it seems that someone told them you were in Hogsmead. It's only a matter of time they find you here, if you wish to keep hiding you may have to find your own place sooner than thought."

Harry poured a cup of coffee from the pot then headed back to the table, "No, they will just keep printing nasty articles until I show myself. I think I will make an appearance in the Three Broomsticks tonight, after the sun goes down. That should put a stopper in them for now."

"You're better off, but you should take someone with you just in case there is any trouble. People tend to do funny things around important people." Tonks said as she slid her coffee under her paper, never looking at Harry. "I'm off to work here in a bit, what are your plans today Harry?"

"Not much I can do during the daytime without turning into a crisp, but I'm pretty sure that Ginny, Ron and Hermione are coming over. They were going to try to feed me again." Harry said as he thought about what happened the last time he drank blood, the prospect didn't appeal to him much.

Tonks finally put her paper down to look at Harry properly. Harry smiled as he beheld her long, blue hair she was trying on today. "Why, what happened the last time?" she asked.

"As Ginny said, I'm the worst vampire ever." Harry said as he avoided Tonk's gaze. "The thing of it is, I'm starting to feel weak, If I can't hold down blood soon I'm going to be a lifeless waste of space."

"I have an idea for you!" Tonks said as though a thought suddenly smacked her upside the head. "Go down to Honeydukes or Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and get some of those blood flavored lollipops, perhaps that will help you get use to the flavor."

Harry Smiled, "You know, that's not a half bad idea."

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Later that afternoon, Harry found himself feeling very tired, his head was bobbing in his hands as he rested his elbows on the kitchen table. Hermione, eager to use the muscles in her leg, took off with Ginny into Hogsmead. Harry had repeated Tonks idea about the lollipops and they wanted to give it a try. Ron, who was sitting on the other side of the table seemed to be just as tired as Harry because his eye lids kept shutting on their own accord.

"What's wrong with you, didn't you sleep?" Ron asked in an effort to keep is eyes open.

"No, I have this natural instinct to sleep during the day, that and on top of some rather distressing news last night I couldn't sleep." Harry said as he shook himself awake. "It doesn't help any that it's going on a week and I have yet to had the very thing that keeps me alive, blood."

"Right." Ron replied as he almost rolled out of his chair.

"Didn't you sleep, you look worse than I do...and that's saying something." Harry said as he tried to force out a feeble laugh.

Ron smiled and started picking at his nails, "No, with Hermione around...I'm...I'm not getting much rest."

Harry returned the smile but played dumb to get a rise out of Ron, "Why not? Her leg causing her too much trouble?"

"No no, it's not that." Ron said as he looked up to see Harry sporting a knowing expression. "You prat, you know what I'm talking about."

"I do, and I'm glad to hear that you two finally have the time to be together. That makes all these years of fighting with Voldemort worth it. Congratulations mate." Harry said as he extended his hand across the table in a gesture of brotherhood.

Ron shook Harry's hand and smiled. "It hasn't been easy, I sorta slipped and told her how I felt while she was in the hospital. I thought she was asleep but when she reached up and pulled me into her I was greatfull she wasn't." Ron said as he returned his eyes to his nails. "At first she said we needed to wait until we knew you were healthy before we were together, but I guess you still being alive is good enough."

"Well, I'm glad I survived...for your sake." Harry smiled.

"I'm glad you survived for Ginny's sake!" Ron replied. "That girl is so over the moon right now, I have never seen her this happy. At first she was sorta scared of you, that you couldn't control biting people but once she found out why, she's never been happier."

Harry shrunk at this last statement, the fact was that Harry was scared of biting Ginny. He was scared of getting to close to her, and being with her. But most of all he was afraid of living his life without her. If she was his true lifemate and she died, Harry would be alone for hundreds of years or more. The thought just brought him crashing down. He swore to himself that he wouldn't tell Ginny what he had found out, he couldn't bare to see the hurt in her eyes. As much as he wanted to be with her, he knew what had to be done in order to save them both.

Suddenly, the front door burst open and in walked Hermione and Ginny. Hermione looked completely exhausted from her efforts, her leg was still sore...but Ginny on the other hand looked like she was on top of the world. Ginny walked into the kitchen and handed Harry the bag of Honeydukes then sat in the chair beside him. Ron had jumped up to help aid Hermione to the last chair, which she fell into, then rested her head on the table.

"I told you not to go." Ron said sternly as he watched Hermione with concern.

"No, it's good to use my muscles, whatever that spell did to my leg really messed up my walking abilities. But the more I use it the better it gets, it's just warm outside that's all. Don't worry about me Ron." Hermione said as she looked up and placed her hand on Ron's to ease his worry.

"Go on Harry, we got you a whole bunch of blood flavored sweets. Lollies, hard candy and even some wax vampire teeth, I thought they were funny." Ginny said brightly as she dumped the bag onto the table.

Harry laughed as he opened up the teeth and stuck them in his mouth, they were so large that it made him look like a muggle cartoon character. He took his teeth out and handed them to Ginny, then opened up one of the lollipops and put it in his mouth. At first it tasted like any other lollie, sweet and sugary. But then as the outer layer of sugar melted away the warm taste of blood rushed his mouth. It was metallic and sour tasting like Ron's had been but not as strong, he could tell that it wasn't made with real blood, but who ever made the flavoring did a good job.

Harry turned to show his approval of the lollipop to Ginny but nearly fell out of his chair at the site of her. She had placed the fake vampire teeth in her mouth and was screwing up her face as if she was going to attack him. Harry spit the lollipop out, reached over and took the teeth out of her mouth then stood up. He walked over to the waste basket and tossed them out, then stormed out of the room. Even though he knew they were fake, the one thing that had been troubling him most came rushing over him. The book suggested turning human lifemates into vampires to spare the loss of a loved one, but he couldn't...would not do that to Ginny.

Harry went into his room and sat on the bed. Moments later, Ginny came rushing into the room looking livid. Harry didn't notice that Ron and Hermione appeared in the doorway after her. "Harry Potter, what has gotten into you. I was just making a joke!" Ginny said loudly.

"I didn't find it funny Ginny." Harry replied with his back to her and the open doorway.

Ginny crossed the room and stood before him. "That didn't give you the right to reach into my mouth and pull those out, it hurt you know."

"I didn't mean to hurt you." Harry said softly. "You don't understand Ginny..."

"What don't I understand? That you don't like being a vampire? Well to bad, cause guess what...YOU ARE!" Ginny bellowed causing Harry to jump up off the bed.

Harry pressed himself into her and started to push her back across the room, still unaware that Ron and Hermione were watching. "YOU don't understand!" Harry yelled back. "The one thing I want to do is protect you, and while your with me, around me I can't do that. You don't have any idea what I can do to you! You have NO idea what it's like being afraid of yourself, let alone the people around you. You think I'm still just Harry, good old Harry. BUT I'M NOT! I'm not even human anymore! Do you understand that! Stay away from me Ginny Weasley, I'm not worth it. We can't be together, it just won't work."

By the time that Harry was done with his rant he had pushed Ginny up against the wall and pressed all his weight into her to hold her still. "You don't scare me." Ginny said weakly as she shrank against the feeling of him pressing into her.

Harry could feel his skin burning, as it did every time he touched Ginny. He had never been this tight against her, he felt as if they were one. Two halves of a whole, standing and testing each other's limits. Harry stared into her eyes, never blinking as she returned the gesture. Pure lust seemed to be pouring from them both and their breath came in short, quick bursts. Harry pressed his hands into the wall on either side of Ginny's head then kissed her like he had never done before. Somewhere behind him he heard Hermione and Ron say something then leave, Harry didn't pay much attention.

He had never felt so possessive in his life, he felt like Ginny belonged with him, an idea that scared him. As Ginny wrapped her arms around him she felt her knees go weak as Harry's tongue danced around hers. Ginny moved her hands up the back of Harry's shirt, feeling his tight muscles rippling as he moved his hands down her body. Ginny was so engrossed in the feeling of heat and desire that she didn't even notice when Harry picked her up and walked her over to the bed.

Harry placed her gently in the center of the bed while he traced kissed around her neck and shoulders. As he was running his hands under her shirt a sudden thought entered his head that was completely unconnected with his own, I feel like my skin is melting but he feels so good. Harry stopped instantly then pushed himself up so he could look down at Ginny. "Did you say something?"

Ginny managed to say, "No." through ragged breathing.

Harry shook his head then grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled if off, revealing his rather toned, yet pale body. Ginny smiled then reached down and pulled her own top off. Harry continued his vagarious kissing as he massaged her breasts then he heard it again, Merlin I have been waiting for this for a long time. This time he knew that had not been his own thought, he clearly heard Ginny say something even though she hadn't spoken a word. Harry sat up on his knees and backed away from her, suddenly fearful.

"I don't know what your doing, but stop it." Harry said.

"What? I'm not doing anything." Ginny replied.

"I could hear what you were thinking! You said something about waiting for a long time or something." Harry said. Why is everything so confusing! I'm tired of this shit! Harry thought, he wanted to break something he was so frustrated.

Ginny pushed herself back on the bed and looked at Harry with the same fear he was showing, "I...I could hear you! Your tired of everything being confusing."

Harry and Ginny sat staring at each other for a long while, neither one saying, thinking or doing anything. Both were still only half dressed, but neither seemed to care. Something wasn't right, once again a new mystery had presented itself. First it was the overly sensitive skin and the fact that a vampire can only have one mate, now this! They could read each other's thoughts! It was all to much, why hadn't either one of them read about this magic that revolved around vampires? Why did it feel like they were learning how to live their lives all over again?

After several minuets of thinking Harry wanted to test this new ability, he looked at Ginny and thought as hard as he could, screwing up his face in the effort. "I love you Ginny, I'm sorry I yelled at you."

Ginny smiled at him, realizing the connection that her and Harry now shared wasn't something to be afraid of. "I'm sorry I yelled too, I love you...don't ever try to leave me again."

"I don't think I can, Ginny." Harry replied. "I think we mite be stuck with each other, forever."