My Beloved

My Beloved

Chapter 1

***

Ginny stood, eyes just closed, leaning against the arched window by her bed. Her tear-stained cheeks glistened in the moonlight, luscious red curls falling about her shoulders and down her back. She had been crying all day, and even after she couldn't cry anymore, she hadn't moved. She couldn't move. Once again, her thoughts returned to what had happened earlier that morning, during breakfast...

***

Nibbling on a piece of buttered toast, Ginny had been deep in conversation with Hermione about her Charms homework when Harry had walked into the Great Hall. She excused herself from the table and ran towards him, a smile bursting onto her face. But it disappeared when she saw the sad look in Harry's eyes. He hadn't ever wanted to hurt her, she now knew, but then, she hadn't had any idea of what he was going to say to her, the words she had been waiting to hear her whole life, but had never wanted to hear, had pushed them away.

"Harry," she frantically searched his face. "What's wrong? Have I done something?" Oh dear Merlin, I have done something wrong, oh god, she thought. "I'm sorry Harry, I-"

"Ginny! Gin, it's okay! I just wanted to talk to you, that's all." Ginny had sighed with relief, and looked into his eyes. She loved his eyes, her favourite thing in the world. Bright green and deep with thought. But not today.

Harry had smiled weakly then, trying to comfort her, sensing her fear, before taking her gently by the hand and leading her out into the Entrance Hall. Ginny had followed, a little unwillingly, looking back at a startled Hermione who was worriedly looking at her. Hermione nodded with an encouraging and knowing look on her face.

Harry closed the doors behind them and then walked over to stand close to Ginny, and took her hands in his. It was silent for a while, until Ginny could bare the suspense no longer. "What did you want to talk about, Harry?"

Harry fiddled with her hands, before lifting one up to kiss it.

Oh god! It's going to happen any minute now, any minute now. Her head was spinning with all the dreadful thoughts she was thinking. He's going to dump me, he's going to dump me. It's all because of me; it's all my fault.

"Gin, you know I love you, and I'd never do anything to hurt you. Ever."

"Oh god, I'm sorry, Harry, whatever it is-"

"Ginny. It's not you," Harry had softly whispered, as if dreading something.

Ginny's eyes widened. "What's not me?" Ginny asked, hesitantly.

Harry sighed, painfully, almost. "Virginia. My Love." He closed his eyes shut, tightly, tears about to burst it seemed.

He looks so sad. Is something really bad going to happen?

Harry had opened his eyes and looked worriedly down at her. "Can I ask you something, Gin?"

Ask me something?

"Whatever it is, my answer is yes."

"But...but what if I asked you to stay out of all this, this war. Stay away from...away from...me?"

Away from Harry?

"I...but...I mean...what?" Ginny stammered.

"It's me he wants. Voldemort, he wants me dead. You know that."

Not this. Anything but this.

"He won't get you, Harry. He can't. I won't let him." Ginny whispered, lowering her eyes, so he wouldn't see the tears forming in her eyes, about to pour down her face.

Harry gently placed his fingers under her chin, so she was forced to look up at him, into his eyes. "I don't want you to get involved with this, my sweet. This is not your war. It's between him and me. I don't want to see you get hurt. I couldn't live without you." Harry's voice broke. "I just couldn't..." he had whispered, nearly crying himself.

***

Still standing motionless by her window, Ginny sighed inwardly, opening her eyes and gazing out into the star-filled night sky. It's so beautiful, she thought. Only this thought brought her back to thinking of Harry. She took another glance outside before bursting into tears and throwing herself onto her bed.

Ginny tilted her head upwards slightly as the door handle turned and her three friends from the year above hers, seventh year, entered the sixth year girls dormitory and tiptoed across to Ginny's bed. Hermione calmly placed her hand on Ginny's shaking shoulder, and asked, "Ginny, what's wrong? We heard some noises in here. Is everything alright?"

Ginny sat up suddenly and the Parvati, Lavender and Hermione looked shocked. Oh god, I forgot. I've been crying all night. I probably look like a wreck.

Then Hermione's face fell. "It's Harry, isn't it."

Parvati and Lavender exchanged confused glances, then exclaimed in unison, "What?!"

"Do you want to talk about it, Gin?" asked Hermione. I knew she would understand, thought Ginny.

"Yes. Please."

And so Ginny had told them everything, everything that her beloved Harry had said to her.

After she had finished, Hermione gathered a sobbing Ginny up in her arms, and stroked her head. "It's okay Ginny. Everything's going to be okay."

"Oh my god," said Parvati, eyes wide open with amazement.

"That is the most romantic story I have ever heard!" exclaimed Lavender.

"Ginny, you know that Harry did this for you. I know he wouldn't want anything to happen to you, and he would never want to hurt you," Hermione said, trying to comfort Ginny.

"I know, but I can't live without him. Without him, I'm nothing - I have no reason to live! And...*sniff*...I couldn't bare it if...if he...you know...*sniff*" Ginny said, between racked sobs.

Hermione took Ginny by the shoulders and made Ginny look at her. "Oh god, Ginny. Harry will never leave you. He won't die. Not by Vol- I mean You Know Who, anyhow. And he loves you Ginny. Even if he did die, and I'm not saying that he will - I won't let him die- I'm sure that he will be watching over you always, and thinking of you every day."

Hermione always knows just what to say, thought Ginny. She took a deep breath, as if Hermione's words had calmed her down. "I...I need to go...um...to the common room..."And with that, Ginny ran over to the door and closed it hard, leaving three stunned faces behind her. She lent against the door and broke into sobs again.

***

Harry couldn't sleep. He'd been wandering around the seventh year boys dormitory all night, sitting for a moment then jumping back up and pacing by his bed, occasionally stopping and running his hand through his hair out of frustration. Finally, when he had woken Ron up three times, he had been kicked out into the common room. Well, not kicked out, but he decided he needed to think and be alone for a while, so he had wandered mindlessly down the stairs, his thoughts preoccupied as he sat in the armchair, staring into the fire.

His head had been aching from all his thoughts - wandering from Ginny to Quidditch, Voldemort to the Dursleys. Harry had been seriously considering going up to the girls' dormitory and waking Ginny up, if she was asleep that was, to talk to her about that morning, when he heard a sound coming from the top of the stairs.

Straining his neck to see around the chair, Harry heard the sound more clearly. Someone was crying. He slowly stood up, running his fingers through his jet-black hair, and walked towards the stairs. Looking up, he saw a small figure, with one distinctive feature - long, red, wavy hair. "Ginny," he murmured.

Harry immediately ran up the stairs. "Ginny," he said softly. He was about to gather her in a comforting hug and tell her how sorry he was, when she looked up at him. "Ginny! What happened?"

Ginny stood, unmoving, her eyes lingering on his a few moments before pushing him aside and running down the stairs, breaking into to tears once more. Harry hurriedly ran after her, a crestfallen look on his face. "Ginny, wait!"

Harry cautiously looked down at Ginny, who had collapsed onto a couch, her face buried in her hands.

"Ginny," he said softly, sitting down on the edge of the couch. "Ginny, love."

Slowly, Ginny turned to face him. Harry smiled at her. "I'm sorry." Ginny sighed lightly. I love him so much. I can't ever let him go.

She reached up to touch his cheek. "I'm sorry too."

Then there was silence. The two of them sat next to each other, way past midnight, staring into each other's eyes - full of longing of what might have been, but could not.

"Virginia?" Oh, I love the way he says my name.

"Yes?" Ginny murmured.

"I love you. Always."

Ginny smiled up at him, the words she had wanted to hear her whole life. "I love you too, Harry."

***

"Hermione, look out!" Harry yelled over all the noise. Hermione ducked just in time to dodge a curse.

The battle had been going on for days now, and more wizards had to be sent in every day, and even more taken out, some tired, some injured, and some even dead. No one had ever imagined such havoc, especially on Hogwarts grounds. Hagrid's hut had been destroyed on the first day of battle, and, although it had charms on it, one side of the castle had been almost totally annihilated.

Harry dodged another spell, yelling, "Eicio!" and several Death Eaters went flying and landed with a thud on the ground.

He was about to throw another curse, when a wizard tumbled into him, pushing him over. Standing up quickly, Harry offered a hand to the clumsy wizard, helped pull him up, and looked about him before running back towards where the crowd was, sidestepping every now and then to avoid being hit by a curse. He spied Ron, and began to make his way over to him.

"Ron! How are you doing?" Harry asked after taking a dagger from his robes and brandishing it at Death Eaters around them, his wand still in his hand at the ready.

"Okay, but I think some people may be needing a break soon."

"

His eyes caught a flash of colour in the bleak, darkening sky, by the castle. Puzzled, he turned round to see a girl standing by the castled, behind a broken pillar, trying to hide from view. Oh my god. It can't be Ginny. Not now. Harry winced. She promised.

Walking quickly while dodging tin between trees had not been a plan in Harry's mind when he had got out of a cold bed this morning, thinking that Ginny was safely at her home with her mother. He could not believe that she was here. Admittedly, part of him was glad, happier than ever, to see her again, as he hadn't seen her for a couple of months because of Voldemort's rising to power, but part of him felt let down and heartbroken because she had promised not to get involved and he didn't want to see her get hurt.

"Ginny!" He yelled, surprised at the tone in his voice.

The girl turned towards him, a white hand lifting the hood off her head.

"Harry!" she half gasped, half whispered.

"Ginny, what on earth are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay away, and you promised. I really don't have time for this!" Harry was even more surprised than before. What the hell was he doing talking to Ginny like that?

Ginny looked hurt, and took a step away from him.