CHAPTER TWELVE SCHOOL DAZE

AN: I own very little of this chapter. No disrespect is meant. I did have a lot of fun researching this chapter so I hope that you enjoy reading it. Please R/R. And thanks for reading!

Several hours later, just as the moon had began it's ascent into the sky, Ginny awoke with a start, sitting on the living room sofa, her head cocked uncomfortably to the side and a half-eaten pound cake piece in her lap. Her fork had fallen to the floor, covered in crumbs that now littered the otherwise clean carpet. The room was empty except for a purring Crookshanks that was eyeing hungrily a very ticked off Hedwig. Ginny noticed for the first time how the usually snow white owl was slightly graying underneath her feathers and tried to calculate just how old she really was. She wasn't sure how old owls could live to be but she began to dread the day that Hedwig would be found, talon up. Harry had had that bird since before school. She must be the oldest friend he had. She had seen him more than anyone and probably been told more secrets than even she had heard from him. Hedwig was probably the first girl to see him completely naked, she giggled as the thought crossed her mind.

"If only you could talk, Hedwig. Maybe you and I could have a lot of things in common. You could probably tell me what Harry's thinking. You know his fears and I'm sure you could tell me what makes him tick."

The only response that she received was a cocked head and slight click of her beak before Hedwig was forced to retire higher up to escape a pouncing ball of fur. Ginny realized for the first time how late it really must be. She sat up quickly, knocking her entire plate on the ground. The crumbling cake was enough of a distraction for Crookshanks to give Hedwig time to fly out of the room and up the stairway where, when Ginny turned the corner to the staircase, she sat perched on the floor in front of the door to Sirius's bedroom where she tapped roughly on the door as if trying to break through.

"I know Harry's in there, Hedwig, but he can't pet you right now." Hedwig turned to give her a the most disgusted look an owl could give. "I'll get him out and take him to the bedroom, you can see him there if you want." Hedwig stood for a second as if she didn't understand before taking flight and heading straight to the bedroom door which she found, to her great disgust, also closed. She turned and directed a loud screech towards Ginny who only laughed at her disgusted pet. "I'll be there in a second, don't get your feathers in a ruffle."

Ginny turned the knob slowly, not wanting to wake anyone that wasn't already awake. As she pushed the door slowly open she saw Harry sitting against the portrait of Dumbledore, a look of utter confusion and disbelief on his face. She walked timidly inside, well out of arm length in case he was upset, and gave him a small smile of truce. "I see you're up. How's your head feel?"

"You!" There was no anger in Harry's words but Ginny still felt a need to back away a little farther.

"Yes, Harry. I just wanted to see how you were doing and if you were ready to head back to bed." She dared to take another step forward as he hadn't even attempted to stand up and she thought he might need help to.

"But I thought-----Snape---?"

Ginny stared at him for a second before turning around to see if she had been followed into the room by their old Potions master. "Harry? What are you talking about? Snape did what?"

"Snape tried to kill me."

"Snape didn't try to kill you, that was Ron."

"LIAR!!"

" Harry are you feeling alright?" She noticed a slight glaze to his eyes and noticed as she stooped down next to him that he hadn't really been looking at her, just towards her. He didn't even seem to be looking at anything in this room, but something far away.

Harry suddenly turned to look up into Dumbledores concerned eyes. "Sir! The Stone! It was Quirrell! He's got the Stone! Sir, quick-"

"Calm yourself, dear boy, you are a little behind the times," Dumbledore looked up to wink at Ginny. "At least I think that's what I said. He doesn't realize how far behind the times he really is, does he?"

Ginny's confusion now matched Harry's as she looked up at Dumbledore as well. "What is going on, Professor? What is he talking about? Doesn't he see me?"

Dumbledore let out a faint chuckle. "He seems as if he received a greater knock to the head then we thought. He's been going on for hours, telling me all about every rule he's ever broken at my school, without knowing it, of course. Everyone else has fallen asleep, but they've missed quiet a ride. I think his mother stayed the longest, up to the dragon in Hagrid's hut, before she was too tired to hear the rest. He's had fine conversations with Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, as well as attended several classes. He seems to be back in his first year just now and if I'm not mistaken, we've just overheard some of the highlights of the climax of his adventures with the Philosophers' stone. He only seems to see me when it's appropriate to that time in his tales. I must say, it's been quite amazing to hear it all first hand."

"So you're telling me he has no idea I exist?" Ginny looked directly into Harry's eyes, searching for some sign of recognition, but he didn't even blink.

"Quite the contrary. You did see him off on the Hogwarts express nearly four hours ago." Dumbledore chuckled again before reaching for his bag of candy sitting on his vacant chair.

"VOLDEMORT!" Harry screamed suddenly and Ginny saw even Dumbledore give a little jump. Ginny looked around as if expecting to see the Dark Lord rise up out of the shadows. "I've met him and I'm calling him by his name."

"He seems to be focusing mainly on those moments that brought him great pain, or great pleasure. The moments that have been clearest have been moments concerning fears of death and joys of life. It might bring you some ease to hear the memories that still dwell inside him. Maybe you'll even learn something that he would not normally tell you if he knew he was talking." He gave a sly wink as he sucked on his second lemon drop. "Some of us say things we don't mean when we're conscious, but our subconscious is where we hide our real truths. Take advantage of the moments we have to live," he nodded towards Harry, "and those moments we get to relive."

Ginny looked over at Harry moments before she was knocked flat on her ass as he jumped up to his feet, pumping his fist in the air and applauding joyously.

"If I'm not mistaken, Gryffindor has just won the house cup. Well, at least he's up. That will make it easier to get him to the bedroom. Not to be rude, but I am an old man, and you know how old men like their sleep." She grinned and thanked him for watching over Harry before putting an arm around him to try to lead him out of the door.

"I've found with a good path, you can get anyone right where you want them to go." He winked at her one last time before sitting in his chair to retire for the evening.

Ginny got Harry out into the hall with only minor difficulty. He seemed to think he was being led off the field after some sort of injury as he was cradling his arm and kept talking to Mad-Eye. Occasionally she would remember what he was talking about, but he kept jumping around so much and it was hard to follow completely one-sided conversations. Half way down the hall, however, Harry suddenly began to scream in agony as he fell to the floor in complete convulsions just outside of Ron and Hermione's door. The door swung open as they both joined Ginny in her shock in the hall.

"What's happening?" Hermione shouted in complete disbelief. Then just as quickly as it had started, Harry stopped. "Don't move, Hermione. Remember, we're still playing."

"What are YOU playing at, Harry?" Ron asked.

"Just be thankful it's not your neck." Came Harry's untimely reply.

"You trying to call me out, Harry? Didn't get enough in the kitchen?" Ron began to roll up his sleeves as if preparing to fight but Ginny quickly stepped in.

"He's having flashbacks. Somehow," she looked accusingly at Ron, "he got knocked on the head pretty hard and he thinks he's at school. He's been reliving previous years."

"The chessboard." Hermione said, understanding coming over her face.

"What chessboard?" Ron asked.

"When we were going after the Philosophers' Stone and were on the chessboard, after you had been attacked, that's what Harry said to me. 'Remember, we're still playing.' "

"I think that's what he said when the Whomping Willow broke my wand in second year." Ron undid his sleeves as he began to see as well.

Ginny began to understand one of Dumbledores riddles. "He heard you. When you came out, he heard you talk and reacted." Ron helped her to pull him up onto his feet and they walked him towards the door to the bedroom where a very pissed off bird stay waiting to be let in. "Hedwig, tell Harry off for keeping you waiting."

Hedwig let out a very loud series of squeaks that startled Harry and he tried to locate the source of the noise. "You know I can't let you out Hedwig. I'm not allowed to use magic outside of school. Besides, if Uncle Vernon hears you..."

"That's it. That's what Dumbledore meant by leading him down the path I wanted. Come on Hedwig, you deserve to sleep in the bedroom. I can take him from here." Ginny looked over at Ron as he backed to join Hermione by their door, both of them with looks of uncertainty on their faces.

"Now you've done it." Harry said as he gave Hedwig a look of despair. She sharply replied before flying back down the stairs to chase the spiders in the basement.

Ginny led Harry to the bed and then untucked her head from under his shoulder, letting him fall sharply to the bed. "I hate portkeys." Harry said. Ginny couldn't help but laugh as she bookmarked this occasion to tell him later how ridiculous he sounded. She lay down next to him on the bed, trying to think of exactly what she wanted to know from him, but her weight on the bed was enough to start him on the right track, if not exactly where she wanted.

"Ginny--don't be dead--please don't be dead." Harry rolled over and grabbed Ginny roughly by the shoulders shaking her as if trying to wake her up. "Ginny, please wake up." She looked deeply into his eyes, trying to see what he was seeing as she couldn't remember him ever saying that to her.

"Where are you Harry?" She asked, trying to lead him home as well as join him where he was.

"You've got to help me, Tom. We've got to get her out of here. There's a basilisk..."

"Tell me where to find you, Harry."

"Look," said Harry, losing patience, "I don't think you get it. We're in the Chamber of Secrets. We can talk later-----"

"The Chamber? Harry, you actually saw Tom Riddle in the Chamber? You never told me that." She smiled as she realized her true power over him. "What else haven't you told me, Mr. Potter?"

For a brief second, Ginny thought Harry had come back as he looked struck into her eyes. "Since when did you call me Potter?" But just as quickly as the recognition was there, it was gone again.

"Professor Dumbledore...Riddle said I'm like him..Strange likeness, he said..." Ginny's brow furrowed as she listened to Harry pour out his soul. "The Sorting hat told me I'd­­---I'd have done well in Slytherin." There was a bit of a pause as Harry listened to Professor Dumbledores' response. "Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?" Harry sounded nearly as thunderstruck as Ginny now was.

"Voldemort? Inside you?" Ginny sat up sharply, knocking Harry back onto his back on the bed. Ginny was reeling from the information that she was being given, and searched for something that would brighten the conversation. "Harry, remember all the Christmases we've spent together?"

Harry closed his mouth and tilted his head as if trying to think really hard. "Christmas? Mistletoe?"

Ginny scanned her mind for a time when they had been caught under the mistletoe. She smiled as she thought of all their Christmases together, but couldn't ever remember there being any mistletoe around. "Harry, when did we ever kiss under mistletoe?"

"It was wet." Harry said almost disgusted.

"What?!" Ginny couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew she had far more experience than he did when they had their first kiss. She had never been told that she was bad, in fact, she seemed to always be greatly enjoyed and she wondered how Harry could be the one out of ten that didn't think she was amazing.

"Because she was crying."

The situation just got more confusing. She never let Harry see her cry, let alone, kiss him while crying. Then, the horrible truth hit her stomach and she had a sudden bitter taste in her mouth. He wasn't talking about their first kiss. He was talking about hisfirst. Cho Chang, the village bike. Her stomachache began to climb and suddenly her heart was immersed in the vice that was trying to crush her. Had Harry loved Cho the same way that he claimed he had loved her? Hoping she wouldn't regret asking, she swallowed the clamp to regain use of her voice.

"Harry, do you love her?"

"I've always loved her." Ginny's heart plummeted. "I've known her for years...I should feel protective....it's natural to want to look out for her...want to rip Dean limb from limb for kissing her..."

Deankissed Cho? Did every one of her boyfriends have a ride?

"She's Ron's sister. Ron's sister. She's out-of-bounds."

A smile crept across Ginny's face as she realized how he had answered the question exactly like she hoped he would. When asked if he loved "her", he had interpreted it as Ginny, meaning, hopfully, that she was the only one that the word love could be associated to. "You've always loved me?" Her eyes began to water.

"If I could only be alone with her...just a minute without Ron...Amortentia...something flowery...Why does my love potion smell like Ginny?..." Ginny watched his eyes as they darted back and forth as if speed reading over a script that held many years of their lives. "Got to ask her out soon or someone else will....she's too popular for her own good...Don't think about it...just kiss her..." Ginny's smile matched his as in both of their minds they relived their very first kiss. It was the first time in quite a while that she had seen Harry smile like that and she wished the moment would never end. As happy as she felt at that very moment, as Harry's smile dropped, the next several minutes made her feel that she would never be happy again.

"Ginny, listen...I can't be involved with you anymore. We've got to stop seeing each other. We can't be together."

"No Harry. Not this..." She had braved his goodbyes once without even a tear, but now her eyes watered heavily and she put her hands over her ears to block out his words. "I never gave up on you then, Harry, and I'm not going to give up on you now." She watched until his mouth stopped and hoped that he had said his piece and she wouldn't have to say goodbye to her love again. As she slowly removed her hands she realized that he was also starting to cry. In several years she had seen him shed one, sometimes two, tears at a single time, but now they started to flow freely, something that confused and relieved her at the same time.

"They're all dying...it's my fault..." He stood up at the end of the bed and brandished an invisible wand at an unseen foe. "Expeliarmus! Look out Hermione! Impedementa! Ron, duck! Lupin...NOOOO! Lucius you bastard! Voldemort....leave her out of this....you want me? Take me! Just leave her alone.... Malfoy? Ginny NO!" At this Harry lept onto Ginny, pinning her to the bed and covered her head with his hands. It took several moments for her to realize he was no longer moving but had become dead weight on top of her. She rolled him over onto his back and he appeared to have fallen asleep at last. Ginny watched him for nearly an hour before she realized that he wasn't going to wake up. Good. I bet he needs the rest. As did she. Her mind raced over all that she had heard and knew that he loved her. For the first time in years, she knew that he loved her. Even with all the horrible things that they had been forced to live through, they had done it together. She knew at that moment that they would make it through this as well. Her heart finally at rest, she lay next to her love as she feel into his rhythm and dreamt.

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Chapter 13 Teaser

"Well, I think it's only fair that all the pain I caused is replaced with pleasure." He whispered into her ear before lightly biting her earlobe. The words sent a chill down Ginny's spine and she could hardly sit still for the thought of what was to come.

"You know that's awful cocky of you. You caused me a lot of pain. Do you think you can really replace all of that?" She already knew that he could, but she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she had truly missed him.