Nightmares

Ginny felt herself moving without her permission, walking into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. It was happening again. Oh Merlin, it was happening again. Without her command, her lips began to move, hissing in a language she didn't speak. And then she began to hear his voice, to feel his hands...

He was coming.

"Ginevra", he whispered, his voice deep and attractive and so, so wrong, "You are doing this. This is you. Your doing."

His hands began making their way up her hips.

"You could be brilliant, Ginevra, everything you ever wanted to be, with me..."

Hands on her stomach. Higher than her stomach.

"You're mine, Ginevra, and you're brilliant when you're mine..."

"Ginny?!"

The sinks opening. The snake crawling out. Hearing herself whisper, "kill!" in that strange hissing language.

"Ginny, wake up!"

Hands under her robes, hands where they shouldn't be...

"Ginny!"

Hands everywhere... paralyzed with fear...


Water. Someone had thrown cold water on her.

It was only a dream.

Ginny started to cry as she realized she wasn't in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom at all, that she wasn't eleven years old anymore, that Tom Riddle wasn't in her head. She was twenty-two years old, standing in the bathroom at Grimmauld Place- her home now- soaking wet, her nightdress clinging to her, her red hair resembling blood as it snaked down her skin. Harry had thrown water at her to wake her up, has conjured an entire bucket of it by the looks of her. It was something she'd done to him a few times, after the war. This was the first time he'd had to do it to her, though, her nightmares had never been this bad, even after she'd had James. But something about Albus was just... it all made her more nervous, somehow. It was all more real, after you'd had your second.

She jumped a bit as she felt Harry's hands on her waist. For just a moment, he was Tom, and she was eleven years old again. But then she heard him whisper, "Ginny, love", in that soft voice that she had been in love with since she had learned what being in love was, the one that said I love you and I need you and I will protect you and You are beautiful all at once. And so when she felt his hands gently turning her towards him and pulling her into his chest, she didn't resist, just melted into his touch. For the first time since right after the war, Ginny let herself fall apart, sobbing into Harry's chest as he stroked her wet hair and whispered to her again and again that he had her, that he loved her, that she was safe. She wasn't sure how long they stood like that, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, one of his hands on the small of her back and the other in her hair, until she finally tried to pull away. Harry didn't say anything, just gently cupped her head with his hand and pulled her back to him. The affection undid her, and suddenly she was sobbing again. Slowly, carefully, Harry scooped her up, carrying her down the hall back to bed.

"I'm sorry", she whispered as he carried her down the hall.

"Shhhh", he soothed, "You have nothing to be sorry for. You've done nothing wrong."

"I... I have to check on the children..." she said faintly as he made to put her down on the bed, though she was still crying.

"I'll do it", Harry said softly but firmly, "Try to sleep. I'll be right back, love."

Before he left, though, he very slowly drew his wand and cast a gentle drying charm on his soaked wife, followed by a warming charm. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before quickly and quietly making his exit, creaking not a single floorboard as he did.

As promised, Harry was back soon after. When he returned, Ginny's eyes were closed, and it seemed she was asleep. But when Harry climbed into bed beside her, she rolled over, wrapping her arm around his chest. She felt cold.

"How are they?"

"James and Albus are just fine, Darling", he assured her, "Right now, they're both sound asleep."

"You're sure?" Ginny whispered, her voice faint. In response, Harry wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips to her ear.

"Yes."

With that, Ginny felt herself finally able to relax, just a bit, just enough. Harry gently wiped her tears from her face as she started to fade.

"Harry?" she asked, no longer able to keep her eyes open.

"Yes, love?"

"I love you."

Harry smiled. "I love you too, Gin."

Harry felt Ginny relax into his arms, and he thought that was the end of it. But a few minutes later, he looked down to find her eyes were open again, staring at him.

"Ginny?" he asked softly, "Do you want a Dreamless Sleep, love?"

Ginny smiled sleepily, and shook her head. "No. I have everything I need right here. I just wanted to make sure that this time, I dreamt about how beautiful you are."

And then, finally, Ginny was asleep.