If Tomorrow Never Comes

Sometimes late at night

I lie awake and watch her sleeping

The roar of flames from the fire roused Harry from his sleep. Glancing at the clock next to him, he groaned. 2.00AM! Sighing, he slipped out of bed, careful not to wake his wife and child who were sleeping soundly beside him.

"Good morning, Davies," he said sarcastically, pulling a chair up to the fire where his boss's head had appeared.

"I'm terribly sorry to wake you at this time Harry, but we've got trouble," the Head Aurer said. "You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters are attacking the south end of Hogsmeade. We're three men down already! Do you think you could get over there?"

Harry groaned. Voldemort sure knew how to pick his times! "Don't those guys ever sleep?" he muttered. "Yeah, I can get over there. Just give me five minutes, OK?"

"Good man, Harry."

With that, Davies' head disappeared with a pop.

She's lost in peaceful dreams

So I turn out the light,

Lay there in the dark.

After hurriedly dressing himself Harry paused by the bed. Ginny. His beautiful Ginny. Their child, Lily, lay sleeping beside her. She had her mother's hair, flame-coloured and beautiful. And her mother's nose. She had inherited his messy hair, though. Ginny could never get it to lie straight. "No wonder your aunt despaired of you!" she would joke as they struggled to get the five-year-old ready for nursery each morning. Lily also had his eyes. Although you couldn't tell now, they were the same emerald green. She was almost the double of Harry's mum, as Sirius and Remus would say.

And the thought crosses my mind

If I never wake in the morning

A streak of moonlight fell across Ginny's sleeping features through a chink in the curtains, seeming to give her an ethereal sort of beauty. Harry smiled.

The two of them had been married for six years now and the 'honeymoon period', as Ginny's older bothers Fred and George so fondly put it, still hadn't ended. Even after Lily's birth they were still as in love as ever.

Would she ever doubt

The way I feel about her in my heart

Harry started to leave (he couldn't Apparate in the house seeing as the Ministry had put charms on it to prevent anyone - namely Voldemort - from getting in that way) but paused at the bedroom door. He didn't know what made him do it, but for some reason Harry wanted to leave Ginny and Lily a note, telling them how much he loved them. Doubling back he sat down at the desk, picked up his quill and a bit of parchment, and began to write.

If tomorrow never comes

Will she know how much I loved her

After he'd finished, Harry propped the piece of parchment with his finished letter on it up against the mirror where Ginny would be able to find it easily. Before he left he paused by the bed again and, leaning down, kissed his wife and daughter goodbye.

"See you later," he whispered.

Did I try in every way

To show her every day

That she's my only one

As Harry walked down the stairs he laughed softly to himself. If anyone from work knew what he'd just done they would think him a complete sap. The thing was, he'd spent all his life cheating death and now he always worried that he would die and his loved ones would never know how much they meant to him.

And if my time on earth was through

And she must face this world without me

Is the love I gave her in the past

Going to be enough to last

If tomorrow ever comes.

Flashback

Ginny was standing at the sink washing up when Harry came in from work. His team had been sent to flush out a vampire hiding out in the Muggle sewers so he was all slimy and smelly. But Ginny didn't even protest when Harry sneaked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Hello beautiful," he murmured, kissing her lightly on the nape of her neck.

"Hello yourself," she laughed, abandoning the washing up to turn around and wrap her arms around his neck, planting a tender kiss on his lips.

"Why don't you sit down and let me finish up here?" Harry asked, gesturing to the dishes left in the sink. Ginny had been heavily pregnant with Lily at the time and if he could Harry would have gladly wrapped her in cotton wool until their child was born.

"You can get washed up yourself, first!" Ginny exclaimed, laughing again. Harry laughed with her.

"I love you. You do know that, right?" He asked, growing serious. Ginny kissed him gently.

"Of course I do. I love you too."

Cause I've lost loved ones in my life

Who never knew how much I loved them

That had been the deal from the start when they found out that Ginny was expecting. That if they had a girl she would be called Lily, after Harry's mum. If it was a boy it would be called either James or Ron.

Ron had been killed just after he, Harry and Hermione had left Hogwarts. He and Hermione had planned on getting married that summer. Ron and Harry were both going to be Aurors and Hermione was going to go to university to study teaching. But the night before they were due to be wed one of Voldemort's followers, Lucius Malfoy, had tracked Ron down and killed him. Having had a tip-off Harry had headed out to try to stop him but arrived just moments too late. Ron was already dead. Harry had killed Lucius there and then. The first time and last time he had voluntarily took someone's life.

Now I live with the regret

That my true feelings for them

Never were revealed

So I made a promise to myself

To say each day how much she means to me

And avoid that circumstance

Where there's no second chance to tell her how I feel.

Now Harry doted on Lily. Being a parent helped ease the pain slightly of living without his. Harry had lost so many people close to him at the hands of Voldemort throughout his life. First his parents, then Ron, and just under a year ago Hagrid had been killed while trying to convince a tribe of giants to join the Light side. Harry always regretted never being able to or never getting around to telling them just how much they meant to him. When Ron and Hagrid were killed Harry just about fell apart. He didn't know where he would be now if it hadn't been for Ginny and Lily.

Once he was outside Harry looked back once more at the darkened bedroom window before Disapparating.

***

If tomorrow never comes

Will she know how much I loved her

Did I try in every way

To show her every day

That she's my only one

Well this was the place but there was no sign of any Death Eaters. Maybe they'd already been taken care of. Harry contemplated going back home but decided that he'd better double-check at least. No sooner had he gone a few paces that Harry heard a voice behind him.

"Potter."

He sounded so much like his father.

"Malfoy."

Harry turned around to face his old school enemy. He hardly recognised him. Draco's blonde hair hung limp and lifeless around his haggard face and his robes hung off his starved frame. But his eyes were still full of the same malice that he'd looked on Harry and his friends with when they'd been at school together. "What happened?"

Instead of replying, Draco said; "Do you remember out first year? I believe I challenged you to a duel if my memory serves me correctly."

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked. It was a bitter night and he was too tired for Malfoy's games.

"Vengeance," Draco hissed, "for my father."

"Don't be stupid, Malfoy. There are Aurors trailing these very streets. You'll be caught and thrown into Azkaban. What's funny?" Harry asked when Draco started laughing.

"You always were the naïve one, Potter."

Harry felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Davies..."

"The Imperious Curse got him to tell me where to find you. Then one of his hairs for my Polyjuice Potion allowed me to trick you into coming out here. I knew that the good, brave Harry Potter wouldn't let his friends battle the Death Eaters all alone. It was too easy."

"Malfoy, listen to me. They'll be able to track you the minute you do magic and they'll be down on you like a ton of bricks," Harry said, reaching for his own wand as subtly as a possible.

"I don't care! Expellairmus!" Harry's wand flew out of his hand. Draco caught it and tucked it into his robes. Pointing his wand at Harry again, he shouted; "Crucio!"

Screaming in pain, Harry fell to the ground. He was vaguely aware of Draco standing over him. "A Malfoy never loses, Potter. You could have been safe. I offered you my friendship and you refused. You killed my father and you and your do-good friends waged war against the Dark Lord. You have dug your own grave."

Harry tried to speak but the pain was too intense. Instead, he pictured Lily's face smiling up at him from her high chair as he kissed her goodbye every morning before he went to work. He pictured Ginny on their wedding day. Ron and Hermione laughing at one of Fred and George's jokes. Sirius congratulating him after Lily's birth. He held on to these images as he heard the last words his mortal body would ever hear.

"Avada Kedavra!"

***

And if my time on earth was through

And she must face this world without me

Is the love I gave her in the past

Going to be enough to last

If tomorrow never comes

It was the frantic knocking at the door which roused Ginny from her sleep. Silently, careful not to wake Lily, she slipped out of bed, momentarily wondering where Harry was. She didn't have time to ponder this as the knocking was threatening to wake up the whole street, let alone Lily.

"Ginny! Ginny, wake up!"

Sirius. Ginny rushed forward to open the door.

"Sirius! What on earth's the matter?" she asked, letting him in. He looked very shaken as he sank down into the nearest chair.

"Ginny I am so sorry," he started. "There was nothing they could do. By the time someone got there it was too late."

"Sirius, what has happened? Where's Harry?" Ginny was getting very worried.

"He's gone! That bastard, Malfoy tricked him so he could get him alone."

"What do you mean? Sirius, where's Harry?" Ginny asked again, gripping Sirius' shoulders.

"Oh Ginny! Harry's dead!"

It felt as though the bottom had fallen out of Ginny's world. "What? Are you sure?"

Sirius nodded, his eyes filling with tears. "I had to identify his body."

"Oh God..." Ginny sank down into the chair opposite Sirius. None of this was making sense. Harry couldn't be dead. He had just been called into work and would be home any minute now. Or maybe this was all a dream. Yeah, that had to be it. Harry wasn't dead; he was too good to let that happen. "He can't be..."

"Ginny, I am so sorry," Sirius said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Look, is there anyone you want me to contact? Your mum or dad? If you want, I can stay the night."

Ginny shook her head. "No, thank you. I think it's best if I'm left alone for a while."

Sirius sighed, but nodded and stood up. "I'll let myself out. You know where to find me if you need someone to talk to."

With that, he left. Ginny heard the door lock after him and stood up and slowly climbed the stairs back to her and Harry's bedroom. Oh, Harry. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Ginny began to cry softly. She looked over at where Harry always slept. There was still an indent on the pillow where his head had been resting. She could still smell him. He always smelled nice. Like the citrus shampoo that he used. He always reminded Ginny of a crisp spring morning when the dew was still on the leaves. All around the room there was a clutter of Quidditch memorabilia. The desk was strewn with photographs of their friends and family. Then Ginny noticed a folded piece of parchment propped up against the mirror. She walked over to the desk and picked it up. It was Harry's handwriting, addressed to her and Lily. Shakily, she sat down and, unfolding the piece of parchment, began to read:

Dearest Ginny and Lily,

I don't know what's propelling me to write this letter but I simply won't leave until it's done. First off, I'm sorry I'm not there with you now. You know how work is. They call at the most un-godly hours. What was I saying? Oh yes, this letter. I just really wanted to tell you how much I love the pair of you. I don't think you'll ever truly know how much you mean to me. I think you saved my life. I know I may have saved your life, Ginny, all those years ago (God, were we really that young?), but you more than repaid the favour just by being your lovely, beautiful self. You were there for me when Ron and Hagrid died and I felt I couldn't go on. You let me cry on your shoulder even though you own heart was breaking and for that I'll always be eternally grateful.

Lily, you are truly the greatest gift a man can ever receive. Your smiles and your laughter are like a ray of light through the blackest clouds. The two of you have made my world complete. Let the world fall apart around us! I don't care, as long as we've got each other. You are everything to me and I promise right here and now that I will always be here for you, no matter what. I love you. Try as I might, there are just no words that can describe the way I feel. My heart is in your possession.

Yours always,

Harry. xxx

So tell that someone that you love

Just what you're thinking of

Ginny placed the letter down gently. A tear dripped from her chin onto it, smudging the words slightly. It was getting light outside, she realised. Lily stirred behind her.

"Is it morning yet, mummy?" she asked.

Smiling weakly, Ginny nodded. "Yes, love. Time to get up," The tiny redhead leapt out of bed and scuttled towards the door. "Lily!" Ginny called. Lily stopped and looked back at her mother, who held her arms out to her. She ran over and let Ginny pick her up and perch her on her knee. She could tell mummy had been crying, her eyes were all wet.

"Daddy's gone, hasn't he?"

Ginny looked at her, at a loss for words for a moment. She nodded, her eyes threatening to spill over with fresh tears. Lily hugged her. "Silly daddy works too hard, isn't that right, mummy?" Ginny laughed slightly. Lily jumped off her mother's knee. "Guess what I can do?" She asked, her green eyes shining with excitement.

"I give up, what can you do?" Ginny asked.

"I can get my self dressed without hardly any help. I'm a big girl now!" with that, Lily ran from the room into her own. Ginny smiled. No, Harry wasn't gone, not completely. As long as Lily was around, a part of Harry still remained. She looked back at Harry's letter, brushing her fingers over those three words. "I love you too, Harry," she whispered. Then she stood up and began to get dressed. Outside in the tree an owl hooted softly and flew down to perch on the stag below its antlers. A second later, they were gone.

If tomorrow never comes.