A/N
Thank you to Lord Jawblinneron for his edits. I added some things after he checked so I hope all is still ok.
Ginny sat impatiently on a hard bed inside the now dimly lit Harpies infirmary. Her legs swayed about, but she could not leave. A wand appeared before her eyes. A female Healer stood somewhere behind the bright light coming from the tip. Ginny blinked in agitation. The light vanished and the room appeared even darker for a moment. The healer waved her wand and the infirmary brightened again. The wand dropped onto the bed as the Healer moved behind Ginny to begin prodding her neck and back for any further injuries.
The process took an agonisingly long time, but eventually the Healer stood before her again. The woman did not look entirely pleased, but neither did she look angry.
The she held up two fingers. "How many fingers?"
"Two," Ginny replied quickly even though the image was slightly blurred. "I'm fine, really." The words probably more to comfort herself.
"Sure," the witch retorted. "What could be wrong after a forty foot plummet straight into mother earth?"
"Well of course I was hurt," Ginny burst out angrily. Not angry at the witch, but at being stuck in the small dark and depressing room while Harry needed her. "But you fixed me hours ago."
"And now I'm making sure you don't walk into a wall." The witch smiled knowingly and Ginny could tell the woman had seen the like before. "Relax, you seem fine. You'll be out of this room in another minute or two."
A low moan escaped Ginny's lips. "A minute's too long." She wanted to say more, but it wasn't the woman's fault that Ginny had to be in here.
As the Healer checked for other signs of injury, Ginny began to glance about. Blood soaked clothes lay on a nearby table; the one sleeve torn and bloodied from the early collision with the Bludger. Vials of blood restorative potions emphasised what her eyes were seeing and body felt. The amount made her stomach turn. Thankfully the cuts and bruises were mostly healed. She would be sore and stiff for a day or two, however.
"And there you go, Weasley." The woman sounded pleased. "I think we managed a right good job of patching you up."
"Thank you," Ginny replied even though she was in a hurry to leave. She slid of the bed gingerly, every part of her body ached. The process of pulling a practise jersey over her head took agonising minutes to complete. Yet, after each movement the muscles in her body began to relax and loosen. By the time she was fully dressed, Ginny felt almost human again. They really had done a tidy job. "You must be well practised."
The Healer smiled knowingly. "The average Harpy being smaller than the men they play against means that I do tend to get more things to fix than your ordinary team Healer."
"I never really thought about it." Ginny nodded absently.
"Few do, but you might as well know that your fellow Harpies don't do too well when connecting mid-air with a pair oversized Beaters." The Healer's voice sounded incredibly dry.
Ginny burst out laughing, unsure whether the woman had tried to make a joke or not, as she made her way to the door. "Thanks, I'll try to remember that." The laughter helped her spirit.
"Please do. Re-growing bones has becoming quite boring."
Ginny hesitated, one hand on the handle. "I'll try to add some flare."
"You've managed quite well in that department." The Healer smiled as she turned away to begin removing some sort of glove from her hands. They were covered in blood as well.
Ginny entered the thankfully empty corridor. The only person visible being Gwenog, who stood outside the visitor's medical room a few doors down. They said nothing as Gwenog opened the door for Ginny.
She moved to a dark corner and leaned against the wall as the Magpies' Healer and medics scurried around Harry's still body. Their wands moved about in quick orderly movements. They'd already set his shoulder and fixed his broken leg and arm by the look of things.
A tattered and blood soaked shirt lay on the floor. It was covered with much more red than hers. She chewed on her bottom lip nervously. He'd pull through, he had to.
"How you holding up?" Gwenog asked from beside Ginny. She'd not noticed the woman slip into the room after her.
"Better than Harry," she managed to say. "She patched me up quickly; only a few minor wounds from the crash."
"Minor?" Gwenog snorted. "Hate to see what you call major. Nice catch by the way." Her arm wrapped around Ginny's shoulder and held her tight.
"Which one?" she asked, trying to find some humour. Ginny had yet to look at her coach. Her eyes were fixed on the Healer as he continued to work methodically, but with quiet determination.
"Never saw the first one of the night."
"Oh, well. It had to be me didn't it? Who else would've stopped his fall?" Ginny muttered.
"Thank you." Her coach's voice low. Ginny could only nod in reply while receiving yet another hug from Gwenog. "I best be off. The reporters and your family would like to know what's going on."
"I suppose they would." Ginny slowly moved her head up and down, but made no attempt to leave.
Her coach must have understood the hesitation. "I'll tell them that you're fine and sleeping." Ginny did not respond. She could do nothing more than stand, arms wrapped around herself as she waited for Harry to wake.
"I should go to them." She did not want to look up at Gwenog. "But I can't leave him now."
She patted Ginny's shoulder. "I know."
Eventually she glanced at her coach to find the woman staring deeply into her eyes. "I'm sorry for letting this happen." Then Gwenog disappeared out into the corridor. Ginny stared at the retreating form of the woman wondering what the comment meant. It proved futile.
It was late night or very early morning when the Healer finally left Harry's side. Ginny, numb from exhaustion and worry, edged towards his bed. Harry's eyes were barely open and he lay immobile. He blinked and tried to smile when he noticed her.
She took hold of his hand. "Rest." Her thumb gently stroked the palm of his hand. "You've been through enough on my account today."
"I..." his voice was hoarse. "I had to. You're..." he coughed. She gripped his hand tighter as he fought the pain. "I'm sorry..."
"You don't have to talk now, Harry." Her voice soft and her face close to his. "I just wanted to tell you something before you fell asleep." She took a deep breath. She'd said it a hundred times to him before. It should've been the easiest thing to say, but it meant so much that she felt her words would never convey the meaning. She edged even closer to him and placed a tender kiss on his dry lips. Moving back an inch, she stared into his green eyes. "I love you, Harry."
He blinked, almost as if he could sense the deep meaning. "I... Ginny..." She felt vulnerable now that she'd given so much of herself in those words. Every part of her being was exposed. Her chest tightened and she turned, trying to pull away. With surprising strength, Harry gripped her arm before whispering from behind. "Left pocket."
Fighting her insecurity and desire to run, she faced him. The physical pain Harry felt as he fought to keep her beside him had turned his face pale. Despite everything he continued to speak. "I... shouldn't... not yet… but…"
The deep currents of emotion visible in his gaze made her pause. Then she carefully leaned over him and dug her hand into the pocket of his torn jeans lying beside the bed. Her fingers touched something hard. Closing her hand around it, she pulled it out. It took a moment for her mind to register the red velvet casing and what its contents symbolised. "Harry, is this..." her words trailed off.
"Don't answer now," he said slowly. "I..." he struggled through another spasm. "Just wanted you to know what I feel."
"I know the answer," Ginny replied without opening the box. "Y..."
"I need to explain things first." He coughed loudly again. Sweat poured down his face. "So much you need to know about me first... Dangerous around me."
"I know danger, Harry. I know you fought in the war. I also know that you risked everything today to help me. I doubt you could say anything to change my mind."
"Still." His hand reached out towards hers, which held the small box. He enclosed them with his. "I love you, but you have to let me explain."
"I'm still saying yes, Harry." She smiled her first real one since the start of the game. She moved his hand away and fiddled with the small bronze latch on the box. The lid flipped open and her mouth formed a small, "O". The sound and the item in her palm stripped away any and all of the fears she'd felt. A warmth radiated from her head all the way down to the tips of her toes. The beating of her heart increased tenfold. And in that moment she felt a calm certainty she'd never experienced before.
Inside sat a classical single diamond engagement ring set in platinum. She'd always wanted something small and understated and she'd expected Harry, being a famous Quidditch player, to give her something ridiculously large. She should've remembered that he was different. The diamond and ring felt perfect in every way. It even managed to sparkle in the dimness of the room. Around the edge intricate patterns were etched into the metal, but the light proved too poor to see more.
She took it out carefully. The ring felt heavy on her palm, which shook even more than before the game. Harry reached out to take the ring. Her mind steadied and she jerked her hand away from his. "Harry. I've said yes and you're not going to have it any other way. Even if you take the thing from me I'll still keep you to your proposal."
Harry's face blossomed into a wonderful smile, even if he did look a bit worried. "I still think we should wait."
"Why wait longer for the inevitable?"
He considered her words for a few seconds, then nodded. Reaching out, he took hold of her hand and removed the ring from her palm. This time she could not have pulled away even if she wanted to. His gaze held her captive.
Her chest pounded with excitement and dread, but instead of trying to hide the ring, he took hold of her left hand and slipped it onto her finger. The band immediately sized to fit.
Exhausted, Ginny could only sit and stare at the ring on her finger as her body tried gallantly to calm down. The shining diamond proved a constant reminder of what Harry'd just asked, or implied with the box, and the answer she'd given.
Her other hand had taken hold of his. "Harry," she whispered. "Are we going to tell my parents?"
Harry already awfully pale began to blink tiredly. "I'm sure we can arrange something." He yawned and his words began to slur. "But we'll talk about it tomorrow." His eyes grew heavy as the various potions began to work. Harry fell asleep.
Ginny gave her ring another long look before removing her wand. After a short whispered incantation the ring vanished.
Deciding the side of the bed would not be comfortable, Ginny moved to the softer chair standing in the dark corner. She couldn't leave him tonight.
She was just getting comfortable when the door opened and a wizard glided into the room quietly. If her eyes had not still been open he would have entered without being heard. His dark grey robes blended in with the shadows about the room. Long silver hair hung past his shoulders. More importantly, his wand was drawn and everything about his movements felt dangerous.
Ginny whispered a spell drilled into every new Harpy; a silent alarm alerting Gwenog and stadium security about the whereabouts of the witch. It was only to be used in emergencies.
The man towered over Harry's prone body. Ginny had no time to wait for help. Fear almost paralysed her, but a strength greater than fear urged her into motion. She stood slowly, fingers curling around the smooth handle of her wand. The man's attention remained solely on Harry.
She waited only as long as it took for the man to begin raising his wand. All her emotions were unleashed in the blink of an eye. The loud shout "Stupify!" echoed off the walls and ceiling. Every ounce of energy funnelled through her arm and out of the wand's tip. It left her body tingling even as the red curse streaked across the room to strike the man solidly in the back. The force behind the spell sent him crashing into the wooden cabinet against the wall. Wood splintered and glass vials shattered. The limp body slowly slid towards the ground in a crumpled heap.
Ginny's outstretched arm trembled, but did not drop as she hurried to Harry's side. The man began to groan even before she reached Harry. A second, almost equally powerful spell illuminated the dark room. It slammed into the man's chest. Items which had survived the first impact exploded under the ferocity of curse.
The man lay motionless and silent. Careful to remain partially hidden, she edged her way towards the battered wizard. Shattered glass crunched beneath her feet. The slow rise and fall of his chest proved a small comfort. With quick efficient wand work she tightly bound his arms and legs before glancing about the room for any other signs of a threat. Her study allowed the man's wand to be found. After retrieving it, she hid herself in another dark corner lest someone else enter.
The door to the room burst open. A tall, and instantly familiar, security wizard dove into the room with a forward role over his left shoulder. A second man, stepped inside covering his partner. Lastly, Gwenog marched into the room, wand drawn looking fiercer than ever before.
"Ginny?" her couched called out. "Are you alright?"
She moved out from the shadow slowly and Gwenog let out a long breath. "I'm fine, but there's a man bound in the far corner."
The guards rushed towards the man laying bound and gagged. "Nice work, miss," the older of the two guards called. Ginny would have to learn their names. "Oi, Gwen. It's that Malfoy bloke."
"Tie him up, Arnold. We've been looking for him for a while." Ginny had never before heard such relief in her coach's voice. It was almost unnerving.
"He'll not be moving much anyway, Gwen. Gin here has the man pretty tightly strung."
"Merlin, look what she did to the bloody cabinet." The other guard whispered loudly as he helped Arnold with Malfoy.
Gwenog appeared in front of Ginny. The woman still managed to look worried. "Did he get to Harry?" she asked in a quiet stern voice.
Ginny shook her head. "No, I stunned him as soon as I was sure he meant harm."
"Stun is a bloody understatement," Arnold whispered to his colleague.
Tears welled up in Gwenog's eyes as the enormity of something overwhelmed her. Arms encircled Ginny. "Merlin, thank you." Gwenog cried. "I..." she began to sob against Ginny's shoulder who could do little more than pat the woman's back uncomfortably. "After tonight, the Bludger, and now Malfoy!" she spat out the man's name. Gwenog wiped away some of her tears, but they kept coming. "Forgive me, Ginny. After... I just don't know if I could survive losing Harry."
"I'll never let anyone hurt him on my watch," Ginny said with fierce determination. The ring on her finger felt warm against her skin. She'd never spoken truer words. "But what's this about? You don't seem surprised."
"Well there is a reason for Harry being so secretive and why he quit Quidditch," Gwenog replied.
Ginny only had to think about the bruised face and other injuries during their training month. "I guess that's what Harry wants to talk to me about," Ginny said as they watched the two guards carry Malfoy out of the room. The name suddenly rang a bell. "Does he have a son?"
Gwenog nodded. "Draco."
Ginny felt her skin prickle at the memory of Malfoy and his Slytherin friends. They really despised Gryffindors and had always gone out of their way to taunt them. Thankfully they had stayed far away from Ginny.
"His son was a year ahead of me at school. Troubled kid."
"Dangerous father," Gwenog agreed. "It's done." The words were spoken so softly that Ginny felt sure that she was not meant to have overheard.
As the sleepless night rolled by slowly those last words of Gwenog kept playing over in her mind. Harry's breathing had remained steady. There were, however, occasional bouts of pain as the skelegrow potion did its work. He'd be awake by sunrise, and as healed as magic allowed in a night, but he'd probably be stiff for days.
Behind the invisibility charm, she played with the ring on her finger. She would stick with him no matter what he told her. He'd already accepted her haunted past with Tom Riddle.
She tensed, hoping her brothers wouldn't harm Harry too much when they first meet. Then she laughed softly at herself; even her brothers knew when not to hit someone.
Her parents were probably the real problem, but then again they would probably accept him quickly as they could already tell how good Harry had been for her. The tension returned. She hoped they would.
A/N
And so ends another chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.
Sorry for replying to reviews. It was our one year wedding anniversary and we went away for the weekend.
Writing a proposal always reminds me about the day I proposed. Everything that could go wrong did!
I had this nice perfect little trip and place planned and then for the first time in three years she was asked to take her parent's maid home. An hour long trip with the maid in the back of the car while I sat with the ring in my pocket… agh… and the maid kept prattling on!
When she was home it was practically dark, so my planned trip had to be rethought, but there was hope. So I sweet talked my wife into taking a scenic drive to the local nature reserve. Then when we got there the usual tranquil area had a group of people playing music and enjoying themselves!
I ended up proposing when they quietened down. At least my wife never suspected a thing until I took the ring out. She never even realised how tense I had been. I don't think I've ever managed to hide my tension that well before or since.