Wake Up

Chapter 3: Get It Right

a/n: So this chapter is very long. But as it's not supposed be like the novel, and still from Ginny's point of view, I really didn't think that Harry's anguish about Wormtail's revelation would be necessary for Ginny to know just yet. You'll see. Usual disclaimers.

XXX

And I don't know

I could crash and burn but maybe

At the end of this road I might catch a glimpse of me

One cold night at the end of November, Harry, Ron and Hermione showed up outside the gates of Hogwarts, bloody and bruised but triumphant. After they had been escorted to the hospital wing, Headmistress McGonagall herself had fetched Ginny.

When she entered the hospital wing, she was greeted with a surprise; she had been in the library when the news of the Trio's arrival had hit the rest of the castle, so it came as a shock to find the three people she had been trying not to think of mere moments before suddenly in front of her eyes.

"Ginny!" Ron cried from the bed he was sitting on with a rather reluctant looking Hermione.

Harry's left arm was in a sling, Hermione's right cheek was cut, and Ron had a gash along his thigh, but on the night table to the left of them sat an item that looked very out of place in the sterile ward: a heavy gold locket that Ginny recognized as having seen before at Grimmauld place, now with a large crack down it's center; and a large, ornate silver jewelry box with the seal of Rowena Ravenclaw on its lid, also with a large crack down the middle.

Smiling, the trio beckoned her to sit with them, and that she did, although she bristled when Ron scooted over next to Hermione and tried to take the bushy-haired girl's hand. Apparently, Hermione still couldn't tell Ron that she liked Harry. The object of her true affection ignored the two of them, the momentary pain in his eyes slammed behind a mental door of well practiced dispassion.

Ignoring the glares directed at her by Ginny, Hermione told her of what had happened within the past three and a half months.

Right after the wedding, they had taken their trip to Godric's Hollow, and once at the Potter house, fund that they had company. Peter Pettigrew was sitting on a pile of rubble, looking very much underfed and worn out. But before any of them could pull their wands out on him, he threw his own to them, putting himself at their mercy.

Hermione explained that he had been placed as the guard at Godric's Hollow by Voldemort, to guard a Horcrux. This Horcrux, he explained, was much different than any other. This Horcrux was living, breathing, and had a mind of its own. They had half-expected to find Nagini lying amongst the rotting wood that had once been the frame of the house, but Wormtail shook his head. The Dark Lord had never told him what it was, but he had found out anyway.

The discovery had taken place very recently, and with this discovery, Pettigrew said, came the realization if why he was placed into Gryffindor in the first place. He had yet to be brave, but he now could.

"Harry, you're the Horcrux," he said, tears coming to his eyes. "I'm guarding the magical traces of it. You're a Horcrux, and in order to defeat him, your life must be sacrificed."

Ginny had gasped at that, but Hermione stopped her.

"Don't worry, we have an idea. And Harry has already gotten used to the idea. It was three months ago."

Hermione continued her story. Wormtail then went on to explain that he had been wrong, obviously, in betraying James and Lily. By telling Harry that he was a Horcrux, he had betrayed the Dark Lord in a way that would mean instant death the next time he reported for a meeting, but he was glad to sacrifice himself for the former best friends' son. And with that, he grabbed his wand back, and killed himself with a self-directed killing curse. They had stayed in the Hollow for a few days to get over the shock, but left when they realized that they had to destroy all of the other Horcruxes before they could even think about the possibility of Harry dying.

The trio had then gone on a wild goose chase, trying to find the mysterious RAB. Eventually, they found themselves in need of rest, and had apparated to the only place they could think of that would provide a safe-haven, Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

Without Dumbledore, the Order had never returned, so they found the place deserted. Harry had found himself in front of the tapestry Sirius had shown him and explained to him so long ago, when his eyes alighted on a name. Regulus Ares Black. RAB.

This realization had led to Hermione remembering the locket they had found while cleaning the library two years pervious, and after some searching had found a large, heavy locket with the tarnished seal of Slytherin emblazoned on it. Horcrux number three was found and destroyed.

It was by sheer luck that they had found the fourth Horcrux, Ravenclaw's jewelry box. They had followed a lead that turned out to be nothing into Hogsmeade. In the Hog's Head they had gotten into an actual conversation with the bartender, who turned out to be Dumbledore's eccentric, goat-loving brother, Aberforth.

He told them how a clearing had slowly been appearing in the Forbidden Forest, with trees blackening and animals found dead. The three of them, with no other leads to follow, decided to check it out. Deep in the forest, they went in the opposing direction of scurrying animals, until they came upon a badly injured unicorn.

It was Ron's quick thinking that saved the animals life, to Ginny's surprise. He had healed its injuries with an Episkey charm, which Harry and Hermione had been too shocked and upset to use. The unicorn, now standing and well, seemed to take a liking to Ron (especially his hair), and at his question brought them as close as it dared to what had injured it before rearing and galloping away.

They had been brought to the edge of a clearing, where at the very center was a rock unnaturally silver in color. This rock turned out to be the jewelry box, and before long it was discovered to be Horcux number four, and was promptly destroyed, albeit with injuries to the Trio, which is why they made their way back to Hogwarts, the closest safe haven they knew.

As the trio finished telling their tale, Ginny smiled, allowing herself a bit of optimistic thought. Maybe people were going to get hurt, and maybe the war would be long, but she could glimpse herself and the three friends the end of it, with the light winning and the dark defeated.

So I won't worry about my timing, I want to get it right

No comparing, second guessing, no not this time

Ron and Hermione had fallen asleep a little while later, having been interrogated by McGonagall and various other members of the Order who had arrived over the course of night. Harry was still awake, turning his wand over and over in his hands while Ginny watched him from her chair by Ron's bed. Her mum had left the room to speak with the rest of the Order, who were holding an impromptu meeting in the hall.

After a few minutes of silence, Harry looked up and gestured for her to come over to him.

Ginny was surprised at her former lover's acknowledgement of her presence, but complied. She levitated her chair over to his bed, and he shifted so that he faced her, sitting cross-legged.

"Yes?" she asked as she sat down.

"Gin, I've been doing some thinking."

She felt her heart rate increase, but immediately tampered down the hope that flared within her. She had seen the way he looked at Hermione just an hour before. He was not going to declare his undying love.

"Defeating these Horcruxes so far has been difficult, almost too much for the three of us. We haven't been physically ravaged yet, but the emotional and mental strain is destroying our friendship."

He met her eyes, his formerly dispassionate gaze now plaintive and pleading.

"Ginny, I need them. They're the best friends I've got, and without them I have no chance against Voldemort. Love is supposedly my greatest power, my only means of defeating him."

He sighed heavily and looked away from her and at his hands again.

"I've talked to Hermione about it, and she came up with something. Ron and I were firmly opposed to the idea, but the more she pressed it the more I began to realize how much sense it made, despite the fact that it goes against exactly I was trying to do."

Ginny gritted her teeth; of course, if it was Hermione's suggestion, he couldn't disagree for long. She fought to keep her jealousy in check.

"What was this idea?"

"That- that if you were willing, you could come with us to find the remaining two horcruxes. We've just got the goblet and the snake, now; but I understand that when I, erm.. ended things with you, I told you that I didn't want you to come with me and that you couldn't be with me, but we need you, Gin," he babbled.

She arched an eyebrow at him in shock.

"You want me to help?"

"To keep us together. You're all of our friend, and friendship and love are our greatest defense against Voldemort. We need you not only for that, but you are a talented witch."

He nodded at her, and she smiled, but it was soon replaced by a jealous frown.

"Hermione's been getting miffed; she can't be the brains of the outfit constantly."

Ginny nodded stiffly, and then looked at the sleeping forms of Ron and Hermione. She had always wanted to be included among them, as an equal. Now she was getting that chance, to fight alongside those she held most dear. She wasn't worried about fighting, not right now; she would when the timing was right.

No, this was going to be right. She wouldn't compare herself to Hermione in her planned quest to win back Harry's affection; she would never second-guess her decision. Because this time things were going to go right.

She would be fighting alongside the Golden Trio, alongside the Chosen One.