“Emotive unstable you're like an unwinding cable car
Listening for voices, but it's the choices that make us who we are
Go your own way, even seasons have changed just burn those new leaves over
So self-absorbed you've seemed to ignore the prayers that have already come about”
It was fall. The leaves were dropping from the trees, and children were going back to school. It was a quiet day in Godric’s Hollow. It seemed as if no one was moving around the house. It was the way life had been since the final battle had occurred here little less then nine months ago. I walked to the window over looking the battle field itself. It was hard going into this section of the house, since much of it looked out over the field where so many people died. So much good had happened on that field. So had so much evil.
I closed my eyes and tried to picture the day. It was hard, both mentally and emotionally. Some days I could see fragments of the day, others it was if I was reliving it. Life had changed so much since then.
I stood there, just listening to the world around me. I could hear someone in the kitchen. Probably Ron. I could hear the wind whipping around outside, through the trees and around the corners of the road. It was going places I would never go to. It was weird, but I had become jealous of the wind. The wind had nothing to lose. It could go and go, and never stop. The wind couldn’t love anyone; it couldn’t lose the most important thing to them. The wind couldn’t say ‘I love you’ so it couldn’t break anyone’s heart.
I must be going crazy…thinking about what I am. I mean, honestly, the wind? Maybe I’ll talk to Hermione. She knows about this kind of stuff, she’s studying to be a healer, now that the war’s over. And even if she wasn’t a healer, she’d probably recommend that I look in some old book or brew up a potion. She talks about education and knowledge as if we were still in school, all of us, together in front of the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room.
We, as in Hermione, Ron and I, have been living in Godric’s Hollow ever since the end of the war. The house itself is huge, the grounds are even bigger. It’s hard to imagine Lily and James Potter all by themselves in this big house. There may be only three of us in this house, but the three of us made it a home. Hermione and Ron got engaged just a month ago. Hermione’s up to her eyes in wedding plans, planning for a spring wedding. She’s hoping that the few remaining Death Eaters will be gone by then. She’s afraid of her wedding being ruined by the few people that were still loyal to Voldemort, and who wanted to take down Harry.
Harry, however, has been missing since the end of the war.
The last time he was seen was the night of the final battle. He was last seen in St. Mungo’s, after saving me. I had been hit by a terrible curse, Aduro Intrinsecus. It made it feel like my insides were on fire. It could have killed me. Most people hit with this die within an hour of being hit. Harry went off to fight Voldemort after dear ol’ Draco, my opponent in a duel, was hit by a Killing Curse. Story was he heard me screaming and ran to my side. If it hadn’t been for him, I would have died. But I have to imagine that being dead would be better then not knowing where Harry is. That kills me inside every time.
As I stood, lost in thought, Hermione entered the room. My back was turned away from the door, so I didn’t see her enter. I didn’t hear her either. I jumped when she tapped me on the shoulder.
“Gods, Ginny, it’s just me”, she said, alarmed at my reaction.
“Oh, sorry. You startled me.” I said, my voice showing my embarrassment.
“That’s okay. I just came into tell you that Ron and I are going out for a while. We’ll be back late.” This time she flushed.
“Oooh, okay. Just remember, there may be small, impressionable children around.”
“Like you’re one to talk Ginny!” She replied. We looked at each other and laughed.
“Alright have fun. Be good.” I said, shooing her out of the room.
“Yes, Mum!” She called over her shoulder. I heard her go down the stairs and Apparate away with Ron. I sighed. It was times like these I really missed Harry. I missed him all throughout the war, but seeing Ron and Hermione together made it worse. I never told them of course. I wouldn’t feel right, ruining their happiness because my happiness was missing.
I wasn’t sure how long I was standing there, looking out the window, but it must have been hours. I heard the crack of someone Apparating back into the house, and knew it must have been Ron or Hermione. Only three other people could Apparate on our grounds. Ron, Hermione, Harry and I were the only people who could Apparate with out the risk of being shocked. It was a clever security spell Hermione thought of after we moved it. We added Harry to the list in the hope he would come back to us soon. We had given up nearly all hope of seeing Harry again. I still held a little light inside that Harry would return, but that light had been fading in the passing days, weeks, months that went by.
There was a soft knock at the door. I turned around to go get it. It had to be Ron. Hermione would have just come right in. I opened the door and my jaw fell open.
“Harry?” I whispered, barely able to believe my eyes.
“Ginny?” He whispered, in the same tone. Harry had changed since I had last seen him at the final battle. The cut he had from the battle were healed, but there were new ones on his face and arms. He had bags under his eyes and it looked as if he hadn’t slept for several days. His bright eyes were the same beautiful color they had always been, but now they looked as if they had seen too much. Right now, however, his eyes were bright, and they reflected his happiness.
”This is the correlation of salvation and love
(Don't drop your arms)
Don't drop your arms, I'll guard your heart
With quiet words I'll lead you in”
“Come in, please.” I whispered, my voice failing me. I stepped out of the door frame to let him in. He stepped past me, his eyes never leaving me.
“Harry…”
“Ginny wait. I know you have a lot of questions and I have a lot of answers. But I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you, just give me some time.” Harry looked at me. “Okay?”
I looked at him. There were a lot of emotions flowing through me right now. I was so happy I could cry. Harry was back! He was standing right in front of me! He looked to be in one piece! I was also angry. He could have owled! Why did he show up now, and not sooner? Why did he just disappear, and not tell anyone, even me, where he was going? I also felt a surge of love fill me. I had my Harry back. The Boy Who Lived, now The Man Who Won, but more importantly, The Man I Loved, was back in my life. I could spend every day with him, just talking or being with him. I felt a sense of sadness for him. He had to endure so much…and I couldn’t be there with him to help him. I couldn’t talk to him to give him comfort, support, love, or a reality check.
“Gin?” Harry was looking at me with a concerned look on my face. I really needed to stop spacing out.
“What? Oh, yeah, fine. Harry…you’re back…” I felt myself go red. Way to state the obvious Ginny.
“Yeah I am. And this time, Gin, I’m not leaving.” He smiled.
“Really?” I asked skeptically. The last time he said he would never leave me, he left me.
”Ginny, I promise you I will never leave you unless you ask me too.” Harry looked me square in the eyes. And I knew he wasn’t kidding. Harry Potter was back in my life, and he was here to stay.
”Backing away from the problem of pain you never had a home
You've been misguided, you're hiding in shadows for so very long
Don't you believe that you've been deceived that you're no better than...
The hair in your eyes, it never disguised what you're really thinking of”
I had missed him so much…I didn’t know what to do now. I had Harry back. That was all that mattered to me now. There were so many questions I wanted to ask-that I needed to ask. But right now, Harry looked so tired and weakened. I held my tongue and bit back one of the many questions I wanted to know the answers to. I walked over to him and at looked at him. Harry and I were now face to face less then two feet away from each other. I could now clearly see what the aftermath of the war had done to him. He was thinner, and much more muscular. There were many cuts over his arms; ranging from long, shallow, deep and small ones. I imagined that his legs were about the same, although I couldn’t see through his jeans.
War, however, had helped him to grow up, both mentally and physically. Harry was no longer the knobby kneed school boy that I crushed upon for years. He was now tall, strong and had also filled out nicely. One thing remained the same-his shaggy black hair would not lay flat. It cheered me to know that at least one thing about Harry stayed the same.
Harry reached out his hands and I held out mine to reach his. He pulled me a little closer, but didn’t try to make a move. I knew Harry was nervous about seeing me again. I watched him as he looked around the room, taking everything in. When the three of us moved in, we left the house the way we found it, the way Harry’s parents had it. His eyes filled with tears as he saw the pictures waving on the wall, and saw the window with the battle field view.
“Harry…I want you to know that I’m not going to leave you too, no matter what. I missed you so much when you broke up with me, and I missed you even more when you left to get rid of Voldemort, and I missed you even more when you went missing. I don’t think I could miss you anymore. I may just explode if I do. Harry, I missed you so much.” I said, meaning every word I said.
“Do you really mean that?” Harry asked, touched.
“Yes, Harry. I do.”
I took my chance. I took another step closer to Harry and held him close. Harry finally had a home, and that home would be with me, where ever life may take us.
”This is the correlation of salvation and love
(Don't drop your arms)
Don't drop your arms, I'll guard your heart
With quiet words I'll lead you in
This is the correlation of salvation and love
(Don't drop your arms)
Don't drop your arms, I'll guard your heart
With quiet words I'll lead you in”
I could feel Harry’s warm tears on my head. I thought my heart was being ripped out of my chest. All I wanted to do was be happy with Harry now, and now he was crying even more. Great. Way to go me. I didn’t think that he would start crying, I thought that he would be happy to be back. I wanted to tell him something…something that had been on my mind since the before the final battle.
”You're so brilliant, don't soon forget
You're so brilliant, grace marked your heart
You're so brilliant, don't soon forget
You're so brilliant, grace marked your heart
You're so brilliant (This is the correlation)
Don't soon forget (Between salvation and love, don't drop your arms)
You're so brilliant (I'll guard your heart)
Grace marked your heart (With quiet words I'll lead you in and out of the dark)”
“Harry, I have to tell you something.” I said, nervous yet excited.
“Yeah, Ginny?” We pulled apart a bit so he could look at me. “I wanted to tell you something too.”
“Okay, this is kinda hard, cause you were gone for a long time, and now you’re back, and I’m afraid that I’m going to lose you again. And I don’t want to. I really don’t. Harry, I love you.” I quickly looked down. I knew I blew it. He looked at me in shock and disbelief.
“Ginny, I love you too. I love you so much, it hurts. I tore me apart to leave you, but I really did want to keep you safe. I would die if you died. It’s as if I was never truly alive till I realized who you really were. When you got hurt…” He trailed off, as if afraid of what could have happened.
I looked him in the eyes and kissed him. We broke apart after what felt like years. Harry rested his head on mine and we danced together. To no music whatsoever, we danced. Neither of us was very good, but we didn’t care. The only thing running through my mind was ‘He loves me too. And he’s here to stay’.
“Thanks for holding the door for me, Ginny.”
“No problem, Harry. You know I’d wait for you. I love you.”
“I love you too, Gin.”
”This is the correlation of salvation and love
(Don't drop your arms)
Don’t drop your arms, I'll guard your heart
With quiet words I'll lead you in
This is the correlation of salvation and love
(Don't drop your arms)
Don't drop your arms, I'll guard your heart
With quiet words I'll lead you in”
Holding The Door by Dear Irony
Chapter Notes: Please review! Harry Potter belongs to JKR, and the lyrics used are from Anberlin's "The Unwinding Cable Car", which belongs to Anberlin, of course.