Echo in My Mind

Chapter 17: Over the Break

"All the little pieces falling shattered.

Shards of me too sharp to put back together-"

Breathe No More, Evanescence

~*~

Harry watched Professor McGonagall rise from her table and begin towards him. He'd been waiting for over a week now for a call to Dumbledore's office to discuss the matter of Atlantis. He hoped that this is what the professor was coming to him about. As she came closer, he buried his face in his food, trying to make it seem as if he hadn't been watching her progress across the hall.

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, coming to a stop beside him. "The Headmaster requests your presence in his office after dinner. I'm sure you know what this is about."

"Thank you, Professor," he said with a nod.

As soon as she turned around Harry glanced back up at the High Table. As he suspected, Dumbledore had already left. He turned back to his friends and finished his meal quickly.

"Do you think we'll get some answers?" Ginny said excitedly.

"I hope," Harry said. "Our search is getting us nowhere."

He finished off the last bite of his favorite treacle tart and stood up.

"I'll see you lot later and fill you in as much as I can."

They said goodbye and Harry set off for the Headmaster's office. He walked quickly, wanting answers as fast as possible. He'd also noticed Dumbledore's growing number of absences during mealtimes and wanted to ask him about that. He said the password and took the stairs two at a time.

"Hello, Harry," the Headmaster greeted. "Did you enjoy your meal?"

"Yes, sir," Harry replied, sitting down.

"I'm afraid that I do not have much to tell you on the subject of Atlantis. There are many theories as to why the city was sunk, and we are using those to base our search. Whoever sunk the lost city seemed to want to hide something within the city, or else the magical wards around it would not be so strong. What makes this search even harder is the fact that no one is quite sure where the city is."

"If I may, sir," Harry interjected.

"Go ahead."

"Hermione and I believe we're on the path to something. In one of the books we looked through we found a reference to ancient sorcery in Atlantis. We didn't find anything more. Actually, we were hoping we could get a note giving us access to the Restricted Section?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Certainly, Harry. Best of luck to you in your search. I'm sorry to cut this topic short, but I believe we have another more pressing matter to discuss."

"What happened?" Harry asked immediately.

"We received a warning of sorts very early this morning. It is, undoubtedly, from Lord Voldemort. What we have feared of another attack seems highly likely now," Dumbledore said.

The first thing Harry noticed was that the normal twinkle had disappeared from the aged wizard's eye. He asked for the warning and Dumbledore handed him the letter soundlessly. Harry scanned through it, a frown settling itself on his face.

Diagon Alley was... impressive... but so long ago. Times have changed and you no longer stand a chance. The balance of power has tipped from your end of the scale to mine. You cannot hide behind your walls any longer. It's coming, Dumbledore, and I hope you'll have your "weapon" nice and sharp.

"Oh, shit," Harry breathed.

"Potter," McGonagall snapped in a warning tone.

He looked up from the Dark Mark in the bottom that served as a signature. His scar must have been hurting because Voldemort was happy about having the letter delivered. Questions swirled in his mind, ones that he was dying to ask. He gazed into Dumbledore's face and wisely decided to hold back his thoughts. The Headmaster had never appeared so tired to Harry in all the time that he had known him.

"We believe," Dumbledore started slowly. "That Lord Voldemort's next move will be either on Hogsmeade or Hogwarts. The 'weapon' he speaks of is most obviously you. Though he does not know of the prophecy, your presence at the Diagon Alley battle and the spells you used must have alerted him to your training. It is my opinion that he seeks to draw you out of the protection of the castle and catch you when you are unprepared to fight him properly."

Harry, to his credit, did not show any fear at the prospect of having to face Voldemort in the near future. He knew this had been coming; it was only a matter of time.

"Is there a plan of sorts yet, sir?" he asked, almost cautiously.

"Yes, Harry. Lord Voldemort will seek you out, but this time you will be ready to meet him head on. His defeat may not happen during this battle; I don't expect it to. But you, my boy, will be prepared to give old Tom quite the shock."

~*~

"You're loving this."

Hermione glanced up from the large tome on the table. Ron's face loomed in front of her, casting a shadow on the book's slightly yellowed pages. Hermione book-marked the page and shut the book. She could sense a hidden meaning in Ron's words but couldn't place a finger on what it was.

"This is a fascinating topic to research, yes," she said.

Ron pulled out the chair across from her and sat down heavily on it. He shook his head.

"That's not what I meant. You love working with Harry again. You love researching for him, and being included in his little world again. You and I have both missed being alongside him in his adventures, no denying it."

Hermione sighed, knowing what Ron said was true. She wouldn't have thrown herself into this researching, taking time away from her schoolwork, if it hadn't been for Harry. She had greatly missed knowing everything going on with her friend firsthand.

"It's almost as if one day he woke up and decided to be Harry again," she said. "He was pushing us away all year and now it's like nothing ever happened."

Ron pulled a random book towards him and began to leaf through it, for the sake of having something to do. Hermione began to read another passage. They stayed silent like that for a few moments.

"He's spending too much time with Ginny," Ron commented.

"How can you say that, Ron? They love each other."

"Ginny's always been infatuated with him. What if he's just using her to relieve his stress?"

Hermione knew better. "First of all, Harry would never do that. Second, I've talked to both of them separately and they both said and showed how deeply they love each other. Third, Ginny's infatuation with 'the Boy-Who-Lived' died a long time ago."

Ron refrained from commenting after that point. He knew Hermione was right, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Ginny was stealing Harry from him. Those two were inseparable and there were times when Ron hated it.

"Where are they now, anyway?" Hermione asked.

"Joined at the hip, snogging, I bet. I'm surprised their tongues haven't joined up yet."

"Ron!" Hermione berated. "Stop being so harsh on them."

Ron snapped his book shut with a loud bang, which attracted the attention of Madam Pince. The librarian shot him a scathing look, which served as a warning. Any further displays like that and he would be thrown out. Ron stared, fuming, at nothing for a few minutes before Hermione gently closed her book with a frustrated sigh.

"I can't get anything done right now. After all that you've just mentioned, I can't take my mind off of it. It just seems... so much like before. If Ginny wasn't always around I could swear it's like first or second year all over again. Sometimes I wish..."

"Wish what?" Ron prodded.

Hermione bit her lip. "I know it's shameful, but sometimes I do wish that Harry would just get rid of Ginny. I just want the trio again."

There was a sudden muffled noise from around the corner, a distressed sound and then another slammed book. Slightly paranoid that their conversation might have been listened to, Hermione stood. Slowly she walked to the edge of the row of books and looked round. To her shock Harry sat on the floor, his back against the wooden end of the shelves. He saw her feet, then looked up at her. Though his face was neutral, his eyes gave away the fact he had just heard the entire conversation.

"Hermione," he said tonelessly. "I came by to join you two, but it seems I've exceeded my welcome already. Shame that I don't seem to know where Ginny is."

"Harry-"

"I'm sorry you feel that way."

"No, Harry, no. Ginny's my best girlfriend and you're my brother!"

"Miss Granger, pipe down," the librarian called.

Hermione blushed, looking sheepish at raising her voice. She muttered an apology and turned back to Harry. For a moment he stayed silent. When he spoke next, his words were said so quietly that Hermione had to bend down to hear him.

"I wanted to set things right. I know I've been a horrible friend this year, and I hate myself for it. With everything that's happened I just wanted to push everyone away. Ginny - Ginny pulled me out of depression by showing me love like I'd never had before. Because of that I've been clinging to her all year. Then you and Ron got so serious and I was afraid I'd be intruding; terribly afraid I'd end up the third wheel. I suppose I just... I dunno..."

Hermione, to her astonishment, felt tears leaking out of her eyes. Harry's hand reached her shoulder, pushing her down to his level. Her hands came up to rub at her eyes as Harry draped a lose arm around her, trailing his fingers over her back in a soothing manner. Ron, who had rounded the corner after Madam Pince's warning, watched the two friends. When Hermione looked up a minute later, she gasped again.

"Ron, did - did you hear?"

Ron nodded. He extended a hand to Hermione, helping her up, and then reached down for Harry, pulling the raven-haired boy up as well. Looking over Harry's shoulder, Ron saw the library matron approaching rapidly, brandishing her wand.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you three to leave. You're causing quite the disturbance. Out, I say!"

Laughing, Harry and Ron each took one of Hermione's hands and led the stunned girl out of the library. Once far enough away from the doors they let go of her.

"Well I never!" she huffed.

She glared at each boy in turn. This only made them laugh harder.

"Hermione Granger kicked out of the library. Oh boy, I thought I'd never see the day!" Ron said gleefully.

Harry held on to his shoulder for support because he was laughing so hard. Hermione couldn't keep up her glare any longer and fell into a fit of giggles along with them. Together the three set off for the common room, acting like the Golden Trio once more.

"How on Earth," Ginny thundered later that night, "did you lot manage to get kicked out of the library?"

She said this in such a perfect imitation of Mrs. Weasley that she momentarily left the three people sitting on the couch before her speechless. Momentarily. After a beat they burst into another round of laughter. Ginny glowered at each in turn, starting with Ron, then Harry on her brother's right, and finally Hermione sitting beside Harry. Ginny didn't find the situation nearly as amusing as they did.

"Ginny," Ron started but couldn't continue around his laughter.

"My boys here," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes at them. "Saw fit to cause a scene."

Harry immediately stopped laughing. "That is not how it went. If I remember correctly, it was you who caused the scene. We wouldn't have gotten kicked out if you and Ron hadn't been talking about me behind my back."

Ron shut up at that and Hermione looked remorseful again. Ginny immediately felt horrible for having dredged up whatever bad thing had happened.

"Harry, you do know we're terribly sorry for that," Hermione said.

Harry stayed silent for a while before nodding. "I know, and I'm sorry about the way I've been acting this year."

"'S all right, mate," Ron said.

A few seconds later the three friends were wrapped in a huge hug. Hermione had ended up sandwiched between Harry and Ron as they had stood up. Ginny felt a pang of longing and realized with a start that this was how things used to be. The trio was standing in front of her and it made her feel like an outsider all over again. Quietly, she turned away to leave them in peace. Her entire demeanor had saddened, and she was unaware Harry had picked up on it.

"Ginny," he called out, "where are you going?"

Ginny looked up, startled. "I was going to leave you alone..."

"Nonsense," Ron chimed in.

"Come here, Gin," Harry said.

He managed to pull his arm out from around Hermione and under Ron's and extended it towards her. Ginny came forward and was enveloped by the trio. She ended up squashed back against Harry and smiled because she didn't mind one bit. For the first time she felt as if she truly belonged in the trio.

~*~

Nathalie sat on the floor of the Room of Requirement watching the two teenagers before her earnestly. Ginny was pacing back and forth in the center of the room. Harry sat on the floor near his redheaded companion, his back leaning on the solid wall of the room. His eyes were closed and he appeared in deep thought. Ginny, on the other hand, couldn't seem to calm down. She turned abruptly and started in the other direction once more, her eyes open, her movements wild. She stopped a few moments later.

"I can't do this," she said loudly.

"Yes, you can," Nathalie said kindly. "Just make your mind completely blank. It might be helpful if you followed Harry's example and stopped moving."

Ginny glowered at the trainer and Nathalie wondered if she'd be dealing with the teenager's fiery temper very soon. She saw Harry push himself to his feet out of the corner of her eye and make his way over to them. He laid a comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder, squeezing it.

"Gin, you're really agitated. You've got to let go of your emotions, or else it's never going to work."

Her agitation showed as she jumped at his touch, then whirled around and smacked him in the chest. Harry took it calmly and Nathalie was thankful he knew how to hold his temper in check when dealing with his girlfriend.

"Why are we doing this again?" Ginny snapped.

"To be able to communicate with Harry in your mind, you must clear it to focus solely on the pull you feel connecting you to him. Once you find that place in your mind, you will be able to talk to him. That part of your connection has not developed yet, and therefore you have to find it to open it for use," Nathalie said.

"Well it's too much effort," said Ginny in a sharp tone. "I'm not doing it."

Nathalie saw a fire of sorts ignite in Harry's eyes and she wisely backed up as far as she could. Before she could blink, Harry had Ginny by her shoulders and was holding her roughly, directing her gaze towards him. She stared at him, defiance in her eyes, and he matched it with a blazing look of his own.

"You will not talk like that to Nathalie," Harry growled.

His voice was quiet but his words contained such a harsh, deadly, and forceful tone that it single handedly scared Ginny more than if he had yelled at her. She realized that her knees were shaking and she gulped. She hadn't a clue how Harry could maintain such a calm façade.

"You will go through with this because this is what you wanted to do. I don't care what's gotten you in a snit; it has to go. Now sit down and focus. I'm not tolerating any more of this crap from you and neither will Nathalie."

He let go of her shoulders and returned to his position leaning against the wall. Ginny felt her knees give out and she hit the ground. Afraid to join Harry a few paces across the room, she closed her eyes right where she was. She began to empty her mind of thought like she often had before to help her sleep. Instinctively she gasped as she began to feel an opening of sorts where her mind was connected to Harry's. She pushed into that area of her mind tentatively and was surprised to feel his struggle to empty his mind of thought. She felt the last thought slip out of his head and never realized she'd gasped aloud.

"Harry?"

Her eyes snapped open as she heard Harry let out a surprised yelp. Thoughts flooded her head once more but she found that she could still feel herself connected with Harry. A warm, pleasant feeling spread through her as Harry's gaze locked on her.

"G-Ginny?"

Ginny detected a hint of wariness from Harry's end as the words reverberated in her head. Another underlying tone she picked up was ... fear?

"Harry, what are you afraid of?"

Harry jumped a foot into the air and Ginny was hard-pressed to figure out what was causing this reaction from him. She turned her head to look at Nathalie, who looked as dumbstruck as she did at Harry's odd behavior. Suddenly, Ginny realized that Harry was shaking. His eyes were round and blank as he backed further and further into a corner of the room.

"Can we end here for today?" he said, his voice trembling.

Nathalie looked alarmed. "Yes... c'est ne pas bon."

Harry bolted from the room without another word.

~*~

"My daughter," a woman sobbed. "Save her, save her!"

"Mrs., I don't know where-"

The woman's sobbing cut off any words the Auror was about to say.

Harry groaned and flipped over in his bed. Sleep was impossible for him that night. Ever since he'd heard Ginny's voice echoing in his head earlier that day in the Room of Requirement, he hadn't been able to shake the other echoes that haunted him. The voices he had heard so often in the early winter spilled back into his head, filling it, and he hadn't had a moment's peace since.

"Say good bye to your precious wife," a Death Eater taunted.

"You leave her alone!"

This was sheer torture for Harry. He was prepared to kill the next person who walked in the door if they didn't come bearing a Dreamless Sleep potion. He desperately needed one or else he'd go another night without sleep. Exhaustion didn't seem to be setting in for him, even though he'd been awake for just over 24 hours now. Harry smacked his fisted hand on his mattress in frustration as he rolled over onto his side.

"Sara!" someone screamed. "SARA!"

Harry clamped a hand down on his ear as if that would help block out the sounds in his head.

"Take me instead!"

That was one of the "echoes", as Harry had termed them, which bothered him the most. Eerily it reminded him of his mother's sacrifice all those years ago. Those three words haunted him the most and made the pain even more raw for him as he recalled the only true memory he had of his parents.

Harry closed his eyes, trying his hardest to block out the sounds that had stayed with him from the late September battle. Same as always, the voices didn't leave, only amplifying in sound until he could no longer hear Ron and Neville's loud snores. He felt himself drowning, becoming a prisoner of his own mind. Oh yes, he'd definitely kill the next person who walked in the room without that damned potion.

When he heard the door creak slightly, his hand became poised for attack of its own accord. A lone figure stepped through and Harry knew it was Ginny. He also knew that she didn't have the potion he craved. Sighing, he knew he couldn't kill her over something so trivial, and he resigned himself to another sleepless night. He shut his eyes and feigned sleep, not really wanting to be caught awake by Ginny, especially because he didn't know the reason why she had sought him out in the dead of night.

He felt the bed dip next to him with Ginny's added weight. Schooling his features into a calm face, he tried to regulate his breathing to the shallow sound of a person sleeping. Ginny's arm curled around his chest and she threw a leg over his. For a few moments he thought he had successfully fooled her into thinking he was asleep. His hope shattered when she murmured his name.

"Harry, I know you're still awake."

He sighed and turned in her arms. "I can't sleep."

Ginny's lips brushed his jaw. "That's obvious."

"You wouldn't happen to have a Dreamless Sleep potion hidden on you...?" he asked, hoping against hope she had a vial that he hadn't seen when she entered the room.

"Sorry, no."

"Damn."

"Harry, are you positive you're all right?"

Harry caught her lips in a lazy kiss. Having Ginny near him was making him pleasantly drowsy, and his eyes slid shut halfway, leaving the world in front of him in a soft haze.

"Now I am," he said when their mouths parted. "What brings you up here?"

He was sure she was blushing when she answered him. "Impulse. I just wanted to be with you."

Harry chuckled softly. "At three in the morning?"

"I woke up for some strange reason, and I had a really strong urge to come to you, I'm not sure why."

Harry filed that piece of information away for later and let the subject drop. For now all he wanted was to feel Ginny's lips under his. She seemed to sense this and she scooted closer to him. Slowly closing the gap between them, her mouth molded with his. Harry never quite knew when he drifted off but he found that his hand was still tangled in her hair the next morning.

As the early morning sun streamed through the window it lit the inside of Harry's eyelids orange. He sighed and stretched, feeling Ginny's hair pull slightly as he did. Memories came flooding back to him as he remembered exactly why she was in his bed. Slowly, so as not to wake her, he unthreaded his fingers from her red locks.

"Harry?" she whispered softly in her sleep.

Unconsciously she pulled him closer, letting out a sleepy sigh of contentment. Harry smiled down at her and brushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face. Suddenly she turned onto her back and her eyes stared up at him, a small smile gracing her features.

"Good morning," she whispered, kissing him softly.

"Mm...morning."

"A girl could get used to waking up this way."

Harry chuckled and Ginny snuggled into his chest.

"We do need to talk, though."

Inwardly, Harry groaned. Somehow he knew this talk was related to his reaction in training yesterday, and he didn't like that prospect one bit. Ginny sensed his discomfort; he knew she would. Her arms pulled him even closer and Harry hadn't thought that was possible. He kissed her in hopes of distracting her. It didn't.

"Later, love. We need to get this out in the open," she said, pushing him back a bit. "What happened when we spoke through the connection yesterday?"

Harry pulled away from her completely. He rolled over so he wouldn't have to face her and then sat up, his legs hanging over the side of the bed. He let his head fall into his hands.

"Nothing - I was just shocked."

Ginny wasn't buying it. Her fingers tugged at Harry's shirt until he leaned back enough that she could grasp his shoulders and pull him down. Gently she rested his head on her chest and Harry instinctively curled into her. Ginny's fingers began to sift through his perpetually messy hair.

"Harry," she chided softly. "Talk to me."

Harry shuddered against her. "It reminded me of the voices I used to hear, from the Diagon Alley battle. I thought they'd finally been gone for good, but I suppose they never left."

"Oh, Harry..."

However, words of comfort did not come out of her mouth. Harry wanted to hear those words; wanted Ginny to make it all better. Instead of growing quieter, the voices in his head only amplified. He didn't understand why all of this had to happen to him. He hated his life in that moment.

His chest hitched suddenly and his eyes burned. He pressed his eyelids together, trying desperately to force his tears back. Ginny's right hand dislodged itself from his black locks and reached down to stroke his cheek.

"It's okay to cry, Harry," she said through their link, her sweet voice overriding the others.

The dam burst at that moment. Everything Harry had tried to hold in and keep under wraps for months spilled out of him. As his body shook with sobs he lost control of himself. He no longer had a clue what he was crying about. Stress that had been building a high wall inside of him for so long now crumbled easily and without it, Harry didn't think he'd ever felt so vulnerable in his life.

He never knew how long he cried for. All he was aware of was Ginny's soothing hands. One continued to run through his hair and the other stroked his back. Her touch was so soft and gentle to him that it brought fresh tears to his eyes along with the sharp realization that he'd craved this all of his life. More and more tears followed that thought.

Ginny continued to comfort him long after his sobs died down, and long after the last of the silent tears had dropped from his cheeks. A hot wave of shame washed over him. Along with the intense vulnerability he was feeling, he'd never felt so weak. He couldn't help but think of Ginny's reaction to him turning into a blubbering mess. He'd broken down completely, he knew it, and shame flooded through his body. She must think I'm pathetic.

"How can you say that, love?" her voice echoed in his head, just as soft as her hands were on his body. "You needed this. You can't hide behind those ridiculous walls you have forever, and when you need someone, I'll always be here for you."

"Look at me, Ginny," he said, and even in his mind his voice was broken. "I'm weak, vulnerable, stupid. Crying is stupid."

"No, it's not, love," Ginny said, speaking in a calming voice. "Bottling up your emotions as you do is stupid, not to mention dangerous. Harry, you need to learn to lean on people. We won't ever abandon you; I'll never abandon you. It's not shameful to cry. I want you to cry. I'd much rather have you do that than keep everything to yourself. It's not good for you to do that. Open up and trust us, Harry. No one's going to look down on you for trusting them enough to let your emotions go."

A few more hot tears slipped from his eyes and fell onto Ginny's hot skin.

"No one's," he started, then stopped as his voice cracked. "No one's going to yell at me? Hit me?"

Silently Ginny cursed the Dursleys to hell. She couldn't believe that they had treated him so badly that he would be afraid to cry in front of others.

"No, love. No one will yell, and no one will hit you. Hug you, but not hit you. Then again, if you ever get stuck crying in front of Ron, his back slaps are rough enough to knock out your lungs."

This elicited a weak chuckle from Harry. He took his head off of her chest and shifted so he could bury his face in her shoulder. Ginny's nimble fingers danced over his cheek.

"Do you feel better now?" she asked.

Harry nodded against her. "I do, actually. I - er - thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. I'll always be here for you. I love you."

Harry didn't reply, but he didn't need to. Ginny knew how he felt, and he knew that he didn't need words to express it to her. He gave her a small, almost timid smile, and she smiled back down at him. She brushed her lips on the top of his head.

"Get some sleep now, Harry. I'll be right here for you when you wake up."

And Harry knew, that even if he didn't wake for days upon days, Ginny would be right there with him the whole time.

~*~

Harry was eternally grateful that when he and Ginny finally made their way downstairs hours later, Hermione and Ron didn't make a scene. They both took in his still slightly blotchy face and red-rimmed eyes silently, offered him smiles, and did not press the subject. Gripping Ginny's hand tightly, he led her over to a chair by his two friends and sat in it, leaving Ginny enough room to curl up next to him.

"Feeling a bit better this morning, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking up from her work. "I noticed you were a little off last night."

Harry nodded. He knew it was Hermione's way of making sure he was okay after letting everything go as he had earlier. Between his red eyes and Ginny's unwillingness to let go of him, even for a second, it was obvious that Hermione had put two and two together and come up with the right conclusion.

"Much better," he said absently, knowing that as long as Ginny was there by his side that he would be all right.

Ron coughed. "This came for you about five minutes ago, mate."

Harry reached forward to take the small piece of parchment from his friend's hand. Mad-Eye Moody's familiar scrawl met his eyes.

"It's from Professor Moody," he said. "He wants me down at his office. I wonder why?"

"I dunno," Ron shrugged.

"Go on now," Hermione said. "Don't keep Professor Moody waiting."

Harry nodded and rose from his seat. He looked down at his and Ginny's still clasped hands and found that he feared letting go of her. He couldn't help but feel that if he did, then she would vanish, and he'd be left alone forever.

"I'll be right here for you when you come back," Ginny said softly, understanding what he was feeling.

It wasn't enough for him, and she knew it immediately when he tightened his grip on her hand. He was still very vulnerable, and would be even more so once he left her. She could see the fear in his eyes and she knew that he couldn't help but believe that if he let go she'd be gone.

"Harry," she said, knowing that when she used his name or the word 'love' that it helped enforce what she was saying more inside of him. "I won't move from this spot, love, I promise."

That seemed to help, and he let go of her hand. He continued to stare at her, and then he blinked several times to make sure she was still there. Then he nodded to himself and made his way towards the portrait hole.

"What is up with him today?" Ron asked, as soon as he thought Harry was out of earshot. "I've never seen him act so clingy before. It's childish."

Harry stumbled and felt tears rise up again. He heard Ginny swear at her brother but it was too late.

"I told you someone would look down on me," he whispered in his head.

"My brother's a bloody dunderhead who can't comprehend emotion," Ginny said fiercely. "Don't listen to him."

"Ginny..."

She could nearly feel his lower lip trembling as if it were her own. She didn't need to look into his eyes to see the walls he'd haphazardly rebuilt before coming down to the common room were crumbling.

"Go now, love, and I promise I'll be right in this very spot waiting. We can go back up to your bed later, if you like."

"I'm acting like such a child... he's right. I'm taking advantage of your comfort and I'm clinging to you like a baby and-"

"Harry, shut up," Ginny said aloud without realizing it. "You're not taking advantage of anything. Go. Now."

Harry cast a glance around the common room and was thankful that no one else was there to have heard that. Ginny clapped a hand to her mouth and her eyes went wide. Hermione and Ron were staring at them.

"You two have some explaining to do when you get back, Harry," Hermione said.

Harry gulped and Ginny nodded. He practically flew out the portrait hole at that point. As he started down a flight of stairs, he began to compose himself. His face became a mask of indifference once more and he tousled his hair and rubbed his eyes to make it look as if he just climbed out of bed. He knocked on Moody's door and was ushered in.

"I expected you down here quicker, Potter," Moody barked.

"I was still asleep, sir."

"At eleven in the morning?"

"I'm having trouble sleeping," Harry muttered under his breath.

"Speak up, Potter."

"I'm having trouble sleeping," he repeated. "It's really no big deal. No reason to run to the Headmaster."

A flicker of something passed through the grizzled man's eyes but it wasn't there long enough for Harry to catch what it was. Understanding? Harry thought. No, surely not. Professor Moody eyed him for a few seconds, and then began to speak.

"In light of recent events concerning Voldemort, I have decided to honor your request. Starting after the end of break, Tonks and I will be instructing you in Apparation as well as some hand to hand combat."

"Hand to hand combat?" Harry said, smiling at the fact Tonks would be there.

"Yes, I'd say that you would need it if you lost your wand, but you've already defied that rule," Moody said, though there was a trace of humor and a small smile on his face.

Harry grinned. "Might be useful in fending off Ginny's brothers," he commented offhandedly.

Moody let out a small bark of laughter and it momentarily surprised Harry. In all the time he'd spent with him, he'd never seen the other man laugh. Apparently what he had said was funnier than he had thought.

"All right, Potter. You'll still need the training in case you're thrown into a situation where magic can't help you. I'd be inclined to teach you swordplay as well but no one's fought with swords in decades..."

Harry sat up a bit straighter. "Swordplay? Are you serious?"

Moody stared at him. "Yes. However, you most likely won't need-"

"I'll learn it anyway," said Harry, excitement edging into his voice. "I want to learn it. It's a good element of surprise."

The Defense professor raised his eyebrows in a skeptical manner. Harry nearly sighed in defeat. 'Element of surprise' was a pathetic argument, or so he thought.

"We'll throw that into the mix later, then. If you make enough progress in hand to hand combat and are still showing interest in sword fighting, it could happen."

"Thank you, Professor."

Moody nodded. "Now, I have business to attend to. I'll be notifying you shortly about when your training will begin. Good day."

Harry thanked the man again and then left the office. He'd dreamed a few times as a child about playing with the plastic swords he'd seen the neighborhood kids carrying with them on Halloween. And, however painful the memory of the Chamber of Secrets was to him, he still couldn't help but think of how good Godric Gryffindor's sword had felt in his hands. It felt as if it had belonged there; as if Harry had always been meant to wield a sword.

He rounded the corner into the corridor where the Fat Lady's portrait was. When he reached her, he said the password, and said a quick hello to Neville as the other boy exited. Scanning the room, he saw his friends sitting in silence just as he had left them not half an hour earlier. Ginny looked up first and when her eyes met his she gave him a small smile. Instantly he felt guilty for crying all over her that morning. With a resigned sigh he flopped down next to his girlfriend. What was done was done, and there was no sense in reliving the breakdown.

"All right, Harry," Hermione said, closing her book. "You and Ginny have something that you want to tell us?"

Ginny nodded and linked her fingers with Harry's. She felt that he was doing a lot better then when he had left, and that the talk with Moody had something to do with it. She'd pry him for information later.

"Yeah," said Harry, "our link has gotten a bit stronger. We can talk in our heads now."

Ginny giggled. "Such an eloquent way to put it. It sounded better when Nathalie explained it to us. She said it was a form of mental communication."

When Ron and Hermione had no reaction Harry's brow furrowed. Ron's eyebrows had disappeared under his hairline and his jaw had dropped. Hermione blinked, and the surprise faded from her features.

"Well," she said after a moment. "I suppose that was to be expected."

"Expected?" Ron cried. "How was that expected?"

"It's natural for bonds like Harry and Ginny's to progress as it has. All they needed to do was find the hidden part of their connection that allowed them to speak within their minds and open it."

"You've been reading up on this," Harry chuckled.

Hermione blushed. "Yes, well, I wanted to know exactly what you two were getting into. I figured that's how far it had progressed when you two were staring at each other this morning. I confirmed it when Ginny told you to shut up but you hadn't said a thing. When did you first try to communicate?"

"Yesterday," said Ginny. "It was weird. I've just noticed something that I missed yesterday. It seems as if... as if I've irreversibly given up a part of myself. I don't feel like there's an empty space though. It's sort of disconcerting."

Hermione looked thoughtful. "I remember reading that when you unlock the ability to speak mentally, in a sense you've completed the bond, or made it whole. In order for it to be a complete connection, a part of yourself is transferred to the other person. It's to tie yourselves together for... well, forever."

Harry froze. His thumb, which had been rubbing across Ginny's knuckle, stilled. For a moment he forgot how to breathe. He couldn't even move his head to take a look at Ginny. If he had, he would have found her in the same state, completely shocked.

"What?" Ginny gasped.

Hermione suddenly looked worried. "Nathalie didn't tell you?"

"No!" Harry said a bit louder than he had intended to.

"And it's irreversible?" Ginny said weakly, as if she'd had the wind knocked out of her.

"The only way I've read about to cancel the connection," Hermione said slowly, "is by death."

~~**~~