They had been at the Manor for close to a month when Harry woke up, he was slightly confused but alright just the same. His main concern seemed to be Dudley who for his part did his best to reassure the other boy. Harry, after being reassured spent a week slowly getting stronger before being released, he tried not to comment on the lack of his girlfriend nor the glances Dudley was being given. It would do no good to dwell on negative emotions and let Voldemort in.

The longer Dudley stayed at Potter Manor the more he realized how brilliant his cousin was. When they were little, he saw Harry as a thing that wasn't even human, as someone below him. Yet as he listened to the things, he had accomplished Dudley realised how lucky the world was to have Harry James Potter.

Whilst at the Manor he had also reconnected with his mother, the woman who had tried to help Dudley when he never deserved it, she had made the decision to send him to a reform school all year round. Dudley had hated his mother when he was sent there but had learned to respect her decision. For the school helped Dudley realise what a monster his father was.

Dudley had begun to bond with everyone in the manor, he took solace in the twin's pranks. He garnered wisdom from Remus and a steady foundation in his mother and Sirius. In fact, the only one he had yet to meet was his little Cousins girlfriend. A girl who had plagued Harry when he had been on the run.

He didn't think he was ever going to meet her until one day he found her sitting next to his cousin's sleeping form. Her hair was down, covering her face. Dudley thought she looked objectively pretty. He was going to leave her when she called him forward.
"If you leave now, I might genuinely kill him," she said. Dudley's tilled, not expecting her to either speak or say that.
"If you kill him, I'll have to kill you" he countered. Ginny scoffed
"I'd like to see you try" she argued. Dudley started walking towards her, slightly concerned that she may be unhinged.
"I'd probably fail but I really would rather you didn't hurt him"
"Ah, I guess I don't need to, you have already done that." Dudley flinched; he knew he treated Harry horribly but everyone else was nice enough to not throw that information in his face.
"I was a kid" Dudley tried to reason.
"So was he... he still his!" she whispered. Dudley bit his tongue, not wanting to argue with her. Ginny however spun around; a flame ignited in her eyes.
"Why are you here?" she asked. Dudley stepped back slightly
"Why are you?" he asked. Ginny bristled, confused as Dudley carried on.
"We've been here for weeks, why have you only just visited him?" Dudley asked. Ginny stilled again as a tense atmosphere thickened between them.

Ginny wanted to punch him, she wanted to kick and scream and curse the world because it wasn't fair. They were just kids!

"Ginny... he missed you. He's been awake for a fortnight and all he wanted was you. He'd never mention it but you hurt him" Dudley's said the last bit quietly.
"Yeah well, he left, he left so... so..." she trailed off, her voice wavering. She fell down on the chair next to Harry.
"He left... he didn't let us know if he was alive or dead or what. I am just so sick of being pushed to the side because he wants to be a fucking hero. He's a kid, he's fifteen. I'm sick of his trauma hurting him, I'm sick of waiting for the day Voldemort will kill him because I know that's how it ends. I want him to be okay Dudley. I want to be able to hug him without him being scared. I want to be able to go out on a date and be normal. I want to know I'll have him until we turn old and grey. I don't want him to die."

The look on Ginny's face made Dudley's heart stop, he didn't want Harry to die either. He knew Harry was being hunted, Sirius had eventually told him about Harry's fate. Yet he never pictured Harry actually dying, it was just unfathomable.
"Surely... Surely Harry wouldn't track down all these things if he knew that he was going to die right?" Dudley questioned. Ginny ran a hand through her hair
"Honestly I don't know. Harry is stupidly self-sacrificial. He hates others helping him so for all I know this could be so that Voldemort is mortal but not in a way that saves Harry. He could still die and leave one of us to finish off Voldemort." Ginny sat back down, as though the wind had been knocked out of her.
"I don't want him to die Dudley" she whispered. Dudley knelt down in front of her

"He hasn't fled my father just to be murdered, Ginny. He hasn't fallen in love with you just to leave you, the world isn't that cruel" he reasoned. Ginny looked up at him, her eyes wet with tears.
"How can you know that?" she asked. Dudley sighed
"Because when we were away you were on his mind constantly, he kept a photo of you in his front pocket and I knew about you. He told me about how foolish he was to leave but he was falling deeper into the dark and he wanted to spare you. Trust me, he loves you"

When he finished Ginny had tears in her eyes. She glanced down at her boyfriend who was sleeping soundly as a question entered her mind.
"Why you though? No offence but you two don't get along. Why did he trust you?" she whispered the last part so Dudley strained to hear her. He bit his lip, he had his theories but nothing concrete. Alas, Ginny needed some form of closure and he was happy to try and give her that.
"I... I don't know if you know but Harry and I kept in contact when I was sent away. I was angry and sent him a letter, saying how I was going to wreck his life and whatnot. I never expected a reply but he replied with compassion, telling me that I could wreck his life but it would do me no good. That anger breeds hate. He... he messaged me a lot which is why I was able to get better." He took a deep breath, avoiding Ginny's eye.
"Harry didn't come to me because he trusted me. I broke that trust a long time ago, he came to me because I understood. Harry is connected to the guy trying to kill him. Harry has evil possessing him, an evil he is trying so hard to ignore. I get that, I get the anger, I get the everlasting darkness that just won't leave. I thought the world was wrong to say my father was evil. Harry thinks the world is wrong to call him a hero. Not when he has thoughts of destroying everything, making people hurt. He came to me because I understood that. I also understood the need to make it right. Harry knew he was going to hurt himself to find whatever these things are and he knew I'd let him. Not because I wanted but because I knew he needed to."

When he finished, he looked to the redhead and dropped his shoulders. Ginny contemplated him for a moment. She took a step forward and Dudley embraced himself to get slapped. Yet what Ginny did surprised him, she kissed his cheek.

"I still don't like you but you got him home, I'm thankful for that" then she turned on her heel and left.

A cough erupted behind Dudley as Harry tried moving from his bed, Dudley stopped him.
"You need rest." Harry reluctantly obliged. He looked to his cousin, his eyes shining with tears.
"Voldemort being a bitch?" Dudley asked. Harry shook his head.
"You heard everything I said to Ginny?" he asked. Harry nodded. Dudley smiled warmly
"Don't worry baby cousin, she won't leave you. Might think you're barmy but I think for some deranged reasons she actually loves you." Harry chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"Go back to sleep Harry, I'll be here when you wake up" Harry nodded and slowly lay back down, slipping off into his dreams.