Vendetta

Harry was pleased upon awakening to find that Hedwig had returned with the results of the Healers' reports from both St. Mungo's and the Muggle hospital. After giving her the opportunity to take a drink and some of her favorite owl treats, he sat down in the overstuffed chair in the room to peruse them, carefully easing himself out of bed so as not to disturb Ginny, dressing quietly and folding one leg beneath him as he sat down, Hedwig perching on the back of it. Even at that, he kept one ear cocked for sounds of Ginny awakening so he could hide them if necessary.

Upon finishing, he couldn't help noting the basic similarity between both reports: They agreed that there had been two distinct DNA samples found in Ginny's body, neither of which belonged to Harry, which would shoot down Draco's attempt to convince people that he had been responsible for her assault once and for all. Not long afterward, he transferred the reports to another large envelope, addressed them to the Wizengamot at the Ministry, then told Hedwig to take them there after sticking a note of explanation in last thing. She was gone only a short time before he heard the sound of Ginny awakening and quickly dropped his clothing, intending to once again join her in bed for their promised morning love.

"Harry?"

"Here, luv. Just had to use the loo. Now, if I recall, I did promise you that we'd make love this morning. Are you still game?"

"You need to ask? Get back into bed, Mister, or else you risk being ravished right on the floor!"

"Better lock the door first, though, so your Mum doesn't bust in on us when we least expect it," Harry remarked, using one of the nonverbal door-locking spells he knew, then turned back to his waiting lover, soon losing themselves in each other's arms again and rekindling their own personal magic ... the kind which didn't require wands.

* * * * *

As expected, Ron didn't inquire further into the details of Harry and Ginny's love life. He was still curious, of course, but at this point was sure that not even Hermione's affectionate but relentless probing would elicit any relevant information from them if they chose not to divulge it--and they had to admit that in the same situation, they probably wouldn't be any more likely to confess any more than the newly reunited lovers.

On the legal front, a solid case was slowly but surely building up against Ginny's attackers--both of them--but even at that, Harry knew he had to be constantly on the alert for any and all possible courses of action that the Malfoys or Dursleys might decide to take once they discovered who was behind the push for a public rape trial, not to mention the swift and severe punishment of both perpetrators.

By this time, of course, Harry and Ginny had most definitely become lovers, but he wasn't about to admit that, especially not to his two worst enemies. If he couldn't protect her from the initial attack, this time he was determined to protect her (as best he could, anyway) from any of the resulting fallout.

He had even suggested that the authorities discreetly investigate the backgrounds of both alleged perpetrators (i.e., Draco and Dudley) for further evidence of behaviour reminiscent of a sexual predator. It wouldn't surprise Harry one bit if Ginny had been only the latest in a long line of girls who had been victimised by them ... and if he could manage it, she would be the last!

* * * * *

Ron and Hermione learned the rest when Harry gave them the latest developments in the rape case. He tried to time it so Molly and Ginny would be out of the house and busy elsewhere, away from the Burrow, in order that he be able to speak freely without having to worry overmuch about Ginny getting wind of it before the proper time.

Naturally they had all been invited to accompany the Weasley ladies, but all said they wanted to bring each other up-to-date on the latest news (regarding the rape case, although that part was not mentioned out loud). Ginny had given them all a sceptical look before giving in.

"Suit yourselves. There's something I want to get for Harry anyway. After all, his seventeenth birthday is next week and will mark his officially coming of age, so I'm recruiting Mum to help me get him something really special in order to make it as memorable as possible." She gave him a sly wink, then squeezed his shoulders and kissed him on top of the head before Apparating out with Molly.

After they had gone, Harry gave them the latest news he had received, what the results of the tests on the semen samples showed. Neither seemed any more surprised than Harry himself had been, and were pleased that steps were being taken to investigate the backgrounds of both perpetrators as to possible other acts which could be deemed those of a sexual predator. They also agreed that it was the most logical course of action to have the official authorities investigate instead of Harry himself, since the opinion and findings of an official body of law would carry more weight than that of an individual, however intimately connected with the case.

Harry also considered this a good time for Ron and Hermione to go before the Wizengamot themselves and give their own formal statements as to Harry and Ginny's personal habits and character while they had the chance to do so. They agreed readily, both to help him and Ginny as friends and potential family members by marriage when the time came. Of course, there was no way of knowing how long their statements would take, so they had best do it when there was at least a four-hour-long block of time free in their schedule. (That was also the maximum time that the Wizengamot was willing to grant them for formal statements.)

* * * * *

While waiting to hear back as to what time their appointment was, Ron and Hermione (or more accurately, the latter) decided to ask point-blank just why Harry was so happy--almost walking on air, in fact. They had never seen him as happy as he was now, not even during the height of the original romance between him and Ginny.

Mainly because that a new aspect had been added, one which no one thought (least of all Harry himself) would ever happen because of the trauma Ginny had experienced as a result of her double assault ... but because of the extent of her love and faith in him, the vast majority of post-traumatic stress she would ordinarily endure, if only subconsciously, was greatly lessened.

"I'm in love, that's all," he simply said, daring them to push harder.

"It's more than that, Harry," Hermione returned sceptically. "I remember how you were during your original romance with Ginny and something was missing, one very important aspect."

"And what aspect was that, may I ask?"

"The physical aspect."

Both Ron and Harry's eyes widened, particularly the latter's. "I think there was a considerable physical aspect, Hermione," he declared. "Unless you don't consider our snogging each other silly ten times a day being physical."

"Don't play dumb, Harry! You know what I mean ... the aspect I'm talking about is the one you presently have between the two of you--the aspect you didn't have in your original romance. Yes, you snogged each other silly several times a day, as often as you could get away with it, but no matter how far you went then, it was never ... all the way, which is what I'm referring to."

"Then why can't you just say 'the sexual aspect' and be done with it?" Harry shot back. "Yes, Ginny and I are lovers. We have been for the last month ... and yes, we're using the Contraceptive Charm. But most importantly, yes, I intend to officially ask her to marry me as soon as all this rape trial business is behind us. Are you satisfied now?"

There was a long silence before either of the pushy pair could bring themselves to reply to his understandable anger and hurt. Of all people, he was sure they would understand how much his renewed relationship with Ginny meant to him, especially considering the anguish and soul-searching Harry had endured, certain that he would never be able to have Ginny as he had so hungered to do after her dual rape trauma. Understand and not push for intimate details.

Details such as the depth of happiness he had experienced upon the realisation that Draco and Dudley had not managed to destroy them after all ... a depth of happiness so great it was almost euphoria. Details such as the knowledge as to what a truly private matter the sharing of the emotion was between those possessed of a love which had been destined to blossom between them from the moment they had been born: or even before.

Of course, with a part of him, Harry supposed it was at least partly his fault that his friends had felt they'd had to go as far as they did to get the information they wanted, because he had been so less than forthcoming up to this point ... but it was precisely because he was such a private person to begin with, always had been, in fact, despite the accusations otherwise, that he had chosen to keep the details of his private life with Ginny just between the two of them.

Even at that, he was apprehensive (and understandably so) at giving her the full details surrounding her attack, even though he had promised her he would do so "at the proper time." Whatever initial trauma he had spared her by concealing the complete details of her assault from her might be compounded once she learned the entire truth. Would all his efforts to protect her be for nothing?

But she had already gone through so much - he was simply trying to spare her any more. Was that so wrong? Why couldn't people just leave them alone and let them live their lives? Or was that an impossible dream? And was the simple fact that Harry was who and what he was the precise reason it was impossible?

Finally Hermione hung her head. "I'm sorry, Harry. We didn't mean to push so hard. We should have known you'd have a good reason for concealing the full details of your intimate relationship with Ginny, because you've never truly been able to have the privacy you deserve because of who and what you are. We should have understood that you were simply trying to protect something precious to you and left it at that, simply been happy that the two of you had reunited.

"Instead, we pushed and prodded and pried, in a lot of ways just as bad as Rita Skeeter. Just the same, it was because we do care so much for the both of you that it was so important for us to know. And now that we do, we will keep it to ourselves as friends should. Whatever our other faults, though, we care very much for your happiness and want more than anything for you to keep it because after all you've had to endure in your life, no one deserves true love more than you."

Again, there was a long, tense silence ... then Harry moved to his friends and took them both in a group hug, sharing such a depth of love and camaraderie that no further words were unnecessary. Forgiveness was automatic and unconditional between those who shared a friendship the caliber of the one between Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, simply by virtue of all they had shared together, both good and bad, the simple fact of having gone through it together being precisely what had made their trials bearable.

And if they could manage it, they would not only be friends but relatives by marriage when all of this rape trial business was over--or more precisely, Harry would be Ron and Hermione's brother-in-law. That is, once he had married Ginny. And provided they themselves managed to get married! If Ron didn't get up the gumption to propose to Hermione soon, Harry and Ginny had already agreed to take matters into their own hands to bring them together, as both knew they had wanted to be for the longest time.

In fact, Harry wouldn't be surprised if Ron hadn't even been able to properly snog the object of his love yet. He knew from experience how difficult it was to put your fear of rejection aside and let your feelings be known to the object of your love, but if you could, the result could be extremely rewarding--in more ways than one. He and Ginny had even managed to survive an heroic breakup, even though it had broken both their hearts to do so.

Her courage and unselfishness at letting him go, even while experiencing almost unbearable heartbreak, because it was what was necessary, was what had sustained him all through the time of loneliness and war, knowing that a lot of necessary things can often be very painful. But that was all behind them now. He had no reason to ever leave her again; the only thing that could separate them now was death, and he had no intention of letting that happen until absolutely necessary--and even then, he would fight it with everything he had.

Truly the Muggle saying, "If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, they're yours. If they don't, they never were," applied just as much to witches and wizards in love as it did to Muggles. It had been agonising, but they'd done it and their love had become all the stronger and deeper for the experience.

Now, of course, they were experiencing a different kind of agony because of what had happened to Ginny ... but as another Muggle saying went, "Sorrow shared is halved, happiness shared is doubled." So true, so true! They had proved time and again that they could stand anything as long as they went through it together--and precisely because they had each other, they could stand this as well, however difficult it turned out to be.