Relentless Embers

Part I- Comfort

Harry barely heard Ron's hesitant statement that he wanted, no needed, to go be with his family, and could have sworn he imagined both Ron's reluctant request to Hermione to join him and her gentle smile as she raised their joint hands to her mouth and placed a soft comforting kiss to his hand. It was the latter that brought Harry to the present.

"Umm, I think I'll just go . . . that is if you don't mind . . ."

Harry's weary response was interrupted by Hermione, "Harry, you probably want some rest, I'm sure everyone understands . . ."

"Yeah, seriously, go get some rest. We now have problems that can afford to wait until tomorrow . . . I think you've earned some peace and quiet away from all the hero-worshippers." Ron's trademark, half-smirk lit his face for a moment, though, Hermione realized, it did not quite reach his eyes.

After the slightest moment of hesitation, the battle weary trio reached forward to a hard earned three-way hug. The nightmares of the past weeks, months, maybe even years, haunted at the edges of their periphery, but at this moment all that mattered was that they were together, safe, and they had, against all odds, succeeded. Without a word they parted. No one, not even Rita Skeeter, could pen how they felt then. Hermione's eyes filled with tears for what must have been the millionth time that year. Ron's eyes showed his determination as he steeled himself to face the tragedy that befell his family and countless others awaiting in the Great Hall. And Harry, Harry looked like a man who just laid down a boulder, the size of which no one should ever have to carry, that he had in fact shouldered for years.

Ron and Hermione left, hand in hand, with whispered words of comfort and solace. Harry turned to the Fat Lady, whose goofy smile and glass full of champagne slipped at the sight of him. Harry opened his mouth realizing at the last moment he did not know the password. The Fat Lady, however, whispered, "Thank you," a pause and then, "there is no truer Gryffindor," with that she swung forward opening the entrance and Harry slipped soundlessly through.

On autopilot, Harry made his way to his old dormitory, happy to see it had not been given away to someone else. The state of the room showed just how little slept in it truly was this year. Looking to Neville's usual quarters, and its distinct appearance of neglect, Harry was forcibly reminded of Neville's recount of life at Hogwarts this last year and with that the demons poured through his mind.

Neville's slaughter of Nagini, Nagini's slaughter of Snape, his mother through Snape's eyes, his march through the forest for what he believed to be the last time, his dad, his mom, Sirius, Lupin . . .Teddy. As the imagines assaulted his mind, a flash of a painful feeling of connection to the boy who would never truly know his parents and the full circle of the cruelty of war hit him, and he was sobbing. His body wracked with heart wrenching sobs, without the burden and responsibility of his mission to keep him in control. Without the hope of an entire world, or perhaps two, resting on his shoulders, his body fell forward, his hands to his knees, as his shoulders shook violently.

At the slightest sound of movement by the doorway Harry's head jerked up. His startlingly green tear-filled eyes met her chocolate ones. Ginny hesitated a breath, as her wind-tossed, ginger, hair blew across her face and then she was running toward him. He stood just as she reached him and their bodies crashed together, the force of which knocked the wind out of them, but they barely noticed. Harry buried his face into her smooth neck and one hand through her hair as the other held her tightly at the waist. There was no foreseeable chance he was ever going to let her go.

Ginny's arms engulfed him in a bear-like hug, running soothing hands up and down the strong muscles of his back. The sobs continued as her smell assaulted his senses. How he feared dreaming that this moment would be possible one day. How he feared that his feelings would get her killed. How he had no idea what to do now, that the impossible seemed possible.

"Shh, it's alright, just let it out . . ." and further comforting words slipped softly from Ginny's lips as she held him close. They pulled slightly apart, just enough to look straight into each other's eyes. Their lips met briefly in the most tender of kisses, meant for comfort and assurance.

"I should go back," Harry said, his voice of a dull, weary, tone. He rested his forehead against hers. "I need to offer condolences and thanks to . . .people who . . .I-I need to talk to Kingsley, w-we need to make a list of Death Eat-" A soft finger to his mouth silenced him and was quickly replaced by the soft lips of the woman he loved.

"Just this once, let me take care of you, Harry. You've already taken care of everyone else, all of that can wait until you've slept. You've sacrificed all one can for the wizarding world, you deserve some rest," Ginny's voice rang out just above a whisper. The gentle insistence and sincerest tone reached Harry's ears and he succumbed, too tired to fight.

But still, "I'm not so sure I'll be able to sleep," Harry admitted softly. His fear of the nightmares that surely awaited him in his sleep permeated to Ginny through his soft admission. Ginny simply took his hands in hers and led him backward until the back of his knees hit the edge of his bed and he sank down onto it wearily. Ginny knelt down and gently removed his dirt trodden trainers and set them aside. After a short examination of his burnt, holey, and dirt and blood soaked, t-shirt Ginny reached gently for the hem and tugged lightly, Harry willingly lifted his arms so she could remove the offending garment. Ginny's hand reached for his as she lightly caressed the scar on the back of his hand, which still read, 'I must not tell lies.'

"You've been fighting for so long Harry, longer than perhaps most people realize." Her hands continued to his forearm tracing the long white scar from where Voldemort stole his blood, the scar that now symbolized Voldemort's own downfall.

"And you've won, we've all won," she stated simply, her hands continuing up both of his arms gently kneading the tired muscles as she went. Harry's head fell to the side as he absorbed the sensation.

"You've accomplished the impossible." Her hand laid on his sternum just to the side of his rapidly beating heart, tracing the burn left behind by the locket. The scar lay far too close to his heart for her comfort, wondering what put it there, she swallowed hard.

"You've been through such pain and sacrifice, you are the most noble and loving person I know, or will ever know." Her caress moved to his cheek and continued to his forehead lightly tracing the line of the infamous lightning scar. Her eyes bore into his own as she continued, "You've proven good can overcome evil, that love can beat hate, and I imagine you've made your parents prouder than any parents could ever be. And . . . I love you."

It was such a heartfelt and pure statement. It left Harry feeling humbled and unworthy. His eyes shined emerald with the depth of his emotions. "I love you too." And he kissed her. Not for the first time, or for the last, and they both knew that. There was no sense of urgency, or fear, no need to use each other to hide from the outside world. This kiss was about nothing more, or less, than their truest and purest feeling of love. After a long moment, they gently pulled apart again resting their foreheads together looking deep into each other's eyes.

"You're what kept me going, through all this," Harry admitted so softly that the words barely reached her ears. "You were the light, the fire, at the end of the tunnel, but I never dared dream we'd be together again, I dreamed only of your safety and . . . happiness, with or without me."

"Well that's quite alright Harry, because I dreamed about it enough for the both of us." With that, she kissed him fiercely in a uniquely Ginny fashion, as if to prove the truth of her words. Ginny gently eased Harry to lie down onto the bed on his back, she weightlessly climbed onto bed and laid down on her stomach, one hand wrapped around him and her head buried in his shoulder. She felt Harry reach up to gently caress her back and his other hand held her close at the waist. She looked up at him, "Sleep now, Harry and I mean it." He smiled happy to see that the Ginny fire had remained unquenchable and with thoughts on nothing other than his love, he fell into a dreamless sleep.

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