Legacy of Love

Landslide

I took my love and I took it down

I climbed a mountain and I turned around

And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills

Well, the landslide brought me down

A million thoughts whirled through Ginny's head. She was sitting by the lake with Hermione, but her thoughts were definitely elsewhere. Hermione didn't seem to notice, as she was thoroughly occupied watching Ron throw an old Quaffle back and forth with Harry.

Ron and Hermione had only been officially together for a few weeks, and already they had eased comfortably into the rhythm of being a couple. Ginny was extremely happy for them, considering herself partially responsible for them getting together in the first place.

She remembered the day she had told Ron not to let something so great pass him by. He had taken her advice reluctantly, not knowing what had happened just days before that made her an expert on missed opportunities.

Hermione burst out laughing, jolting Ginny back to the present. Harry and Ron were now throwing the ball as hard as the could at each other. They would give out rather unmanly yelps when the ball hit them. Ginny began laughing along with Hermione as they watched the boys act stupid.

Then Ron broke up the game by throwing the ball at Hermione. She screamed and ducked. When she got up again, she started chasing Ron all around, yelling, "You idiot! You imbecile!" Of course, they were both enjoying themselves immensely.

So Ginny was on her own. Then again, so was Harry. He was standing alone, not watching Ron and Hermione. She recognized the look on his face all too well as he stared out at the mountains.

It was so easy to bring herself back to that night.

Oh, mirror in the sky

What is love

Can the child within my heart rise above

Can I sail through the changing ocean tides

Can I handle the seasons of my life

Ginny remembered perfectly the night she had found him. It was she alone who had seemed at all concerned by his absence from dinner. Ron muttered some excuse about Harry possibly visiting Hagrid or having piles of homework to do. He was growing increasingly preoccupied by the heightening tension between himself and Hermione.

Ginny, however, remained worried. Despite Harry's more frequent need to have time to himself, she was reluctant to let his whereabouts go unknown for too long.

Instead of heading back to the common room after dinner, Ginny went outside. She had a hunch that Harry would find a better place than the common room for solitude. He could be at Hagrid's or perhaps on the Quidditch field.

Quite suddenly she stopped short. There was Harry, sitting under a beech tree at the edge of the lake that he seemed to have developed a liking for. This wasn't the first time she had seen him under it.

Ginny began walking toward Harry, not knowing if she should call out to him. Then he glanced up at her blankly before continuing to stare out over the calm lake.

"Sorry to interrupt," said Ginny when she reached him. "I was just wondering where you were."

Harry let out a barely visible sigh. "I just needed time to think, and I like it better out here."

Ginny looked out at the lake too. "It is beautiful out here. There's not much peace and quiet in the castle."

Harry's eyes drifted away from the lake and landed on Ginny. He seemed to study her critically for a moment, then said, "You can sit down."

Settling down beside him, she let the silence linger as long as she could stand. Finally she said, "You probably get sick of people asking how you're feeling. I can't even imagine what it's like. You've had so many terrible, sad things happen to you."

"Most people have no idea," he said heavily. It seemed like saying that one sentence was hard. "They know I must feel sad and angry, but they don't know the worst thing of all."

"And what's that?" Ginny asked. She wanted so badly to understand, to help him. If he would jut look at her, maybe she could see it in his eyes.

"Alone," said Harry simply. He turned to look at her then, revealing all the loneliness and pain in his face. "I feel so alone."

"You don't have to be alone, Harry," said Ginny without even thinking about it.

"But I always am," he said.

Ginny felt tears come to her eyes. "I know you've lost more than most people could bear. This probably doesn't help, but I'm so sorry."

He acknowledged this with a slow nod. "It's because of the people I've lost that I come out here. I hate being alone in the middle of the crowd at school. It's better to be alone with my thoughts and...and with them." He looked pained at the thought of the loved ones who had been so cruelly taken from him. "That's not all of it though. There are other reasons I'm alone."

Ginny reached instinctively for Harry's arm. "Why?" she asked in complete earnest.

And so he told her. He told her why the beech tree was so special to him. He told her about his mum and dad. He told her how much he missed Sirius. He told all that was expected of him and how it weighed on his mind every second.

Then Harry looked her in the eye and said, "I don't want to be alone anymore, Ginny."

Her mind raced. She understood him better than she ever had before, and it both pleased and frightened her.

Ginny gave Harry a hug, not knowing what to say. He hugged her back, looking slightly disappointed. All she would have had to do was tell him he didn't have to be alone anymore, but something stopped her. Fear.

Well, I've been afraid of changin

'Cause I built my life around you

But time makes you bolder

Children get older

I'm getting older too

Well...

Only vaguely aware of someone sitting down beside her, Ginny was startled to realize it was Harry.

"Sorry," said Harry hastily. "Didn't mean to scare you."

Ginny gulped, feeling a bit stupid. "No big deal. I was just a little out of it."

Harry nodded. He looked ready to say something else, but the moment was broken by an especially loud squeal from Hermione.

"Ron! Ron, stop that!" she yelped as he tickled her mercilessly.

Ginny watched them for a moment, then looked back at Harry. "They've completely forgotten about us, haven't they?"

Harry let out a rare laugh. "Completely oblivious. Don't even know we're here."

"What great friends," Ginny joked.

The four of them stayed by the lake for about ten more minutes. Then Ron and Hermione began walking back to the castle hand in hand, leaving Harry and Ginny to plod along behind.

"So how are you feeling lately?" Ginny asked Harry as they walked.

His body stiffened, and the mood grew suddenly cool. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Ginny pressed skeptically.

"Why are you asking me these stupid, meaningless questions? You know I hate it!" he exploded, glowering at her.

Her mind rushed back once again to the evening by the lake, and Ginny felt herself blush. "I'm sorry, Harry! I don't know what else to say!"

Harry's eyes flashed, but this was quickly overtaken by the look of a very tired person. He took several deep breaths before turning back to Ginny and asking, "Do you ever think about that night by the lake?"

This question startled Ginny. It was completely unexpected. Of course, she thought about it! She thought about it every day!

His intense green eyes were locked on her as if he could force an answer out of her by sheer will.

"Harry, Ginny, will you two hurry up a bit!" shouted Ron. They both literally jumped. That was that. Their moment was ruined once again.

Well, I've been afraid of changing

'Cause I built my life around you

But time makes you bolder

Children get older

I'm getting older too

Well, I'm getting older too

Later that night, Ginny entered the common room to find Harry and Ron sitting by the fire. Were they in the mood for company? Ginny was hesitant, but she decided to go for it.

"Hey," she said casually, choosing a seat that placed Ron between herself and Harry. It wouldn't do to look too eager.

Harry gave her a weak smile while Ron cracked his knuckles in an agitated way and muttered, "Hey. She isn't with you, is she?"

Ginny gave Harry a quizzical look. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's turning into a nutter over absolutely nothing," Harry explained.

"It's not nothing!" argued Ron, his voice cracking. "What if she says NO?"

"She's your girlfriend. Why would she say no?" Harry shot back.

"Wait, what's Hermione got to do with this?" Ginny had little patience for being uninformed.

"He wants to ask Hermione out on a date, and he's afraid she'll say no," said Harry scathingly. "Thundering numskull."

Ron shrank back under the disdainful stares of both Ginny and Harry. "I've never taken her on a real date before," he croaked. "What if she doesn't want to? Or what if she does and I mess it up?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I concur, Harry. He's a numskull."

"C'mon, you guys," Ron whined.

Appearing to having reached his breaking point, Harry leaned closer to Ron and snapped, "If this is all you have to worry about, I would consider yourself lucky!"

"Yeah, Ron!" exclaimed Ginny. "Plenty of people have a lot worse problems!"

"Be glad you're not all alone!" Harry added.

They all froze at this. Harry's eyes met Ginny's and were locked there. Ron was looking back and forth between them as if wondering who would launch the next attack.

Then Harry stood up wordlessly and left Gryfinndor Tower.

Ginny sat back in her chair and shook her head at Ron. "You're such a moron."

So take this love and take it down

Yeah, and if you climb a mountain and you turn around

And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills

Well, the landslide brought me down

Ginny was once again the only one concerned by Harry's absence from the common room. Ron was too nervous about Hermione to wonder where his friend had gone.

It only took Ginny ten minutes to convince herself to go after him. A search wasn't necessary this time. She knew right where to find him.

As she ran down the lawn to the beech tree, there were no thoughts in Ginny's head. She had no idea what she would say, but instead stayed focused on getting to the boy sitting under the tree.

Harry turned to face her as she collapsed onto the grass beside him. Without any type of greeting, he blurted out, "Do you ever think about the other night when we sat out here?"

"All the time."

"Me too."

After the initial rush of talk, they both seemed at a loss for words. Ginny stared at Harry, her mind a blur of thoughts.

Suddenly Ginny said, "A few weeks ago I gave Ron some advice about Hermione. It was some pretty good advice actually." She knew it sounded like she was rambling on to fill the silence. Harry was giving her a confused look, but she had to keep going. "I told him not to let something that could be so great pass him by. And, well, I think it's time I started taking my own advice."

"Okay," Harry said as if waiting for her to get to the point.

She grabbed hold of his arm just as she had the first night by the lake, but this time she knew what to say. "You don't have to be alone, Harry. You've got me."

Even though he wasn't smiling, Harry's happiness showed all over his face. "I'm so glad you said that."

Harry and Ginny hugged as they had before, but this time with no regrets.

And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills

Well maybe

Well maybe

This is the end of the latest chapter in the many love stories to take place at Hogwarts. They leave behind a legacy of sadness, pain, and most of, love.

Well maybe the landslide will bring you down