Twilight

Twilight

L.S. Song

Chapter Thirty - Twilight

"Look... I'm sorry," said Harry and Ginny at the same time.

"No you shouldn't be," they said again.

"Okay, you talk," they said in unison.

"This isn't going to work, is it?" muttered Ginny under her breath, flushing slightly as she realized she spoke aloud.

"Okay, Ginny... you talk, I'll listen."

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Okay Harry... the reason... okay... I'm sorry... I... I can't justify what I did, and I apologize for that. My only reason is that when... when Fawkes dropped your body on the ground at the Summit, and the winds died down... I thought... I thought you were dead... and..."

"It's okay," started Harry, but Ginny waved her hand impatiently, obviously wanting to finish.

"When I thought... when I thought you had died then... I just wanted to... my world just fell apart... I wished I was dead with you, I wished that I never failed you, failed us, by letting you leave..."

Harry remained silent, at a loss for words.

"And when you came back... it just seemed... like... everything was being pulled back into place... but it didn't seem real... and I was afraid... I was scared, Harry... scared that..."

Ginny sniffed loudly, then bowed her head, and when she continued, it was in an ashamed, soft whisper.

"I was afraid to love you again, I was afraid to chain myself to what might've lead to more pain, I was afraid that someone would take you away from me again... I was a coward, Harry... I..."

"What about now, Ginny?" asked Harry, almost shaking, a silent question burning up in his heart.

What if she still feels the same, and she wants to break up?

"Now?" said Ginny, laughing bitterly. "I couldn't ever stop loving you Harry, I never did, from the first time I saw you in King's Cross, and you asked my mum for instructions on how to get on to the platform... I even thought you were quite cute and lonesome then!"

She giggled, a smile lighting up her face, much to Harry's relief.

"Even in Hogwarts, after I gave up on you... I still loved you as a friend, as I got to know you... and then I fell in love all over again," she sighed.

Harry didn't know how to respond, so he just kept quiet.

"Look Harry," she started again, her voice much more serious. "I tried to get over you... I tried with all my might... but I couldn't... cause you complete me, you're like... the air I breathe, you're like my other half... please, Harry, please forgive me for doing this..."

Harry finally let a grin come over his face.

"Already done, Ginny Weasley."

As he pulled her into a tight hug, a feeling he had missed deeply in the past few weeks, he noticed again how Ginny's hair seemed to literally be alight, different colors sparkling and shining.

"You know Gin," he murmured half-consciously. "Your hair isn't the same as all of your family's."

Ginny pulled away slightly, arching an eyebrow.

"It's like... a splash of different colors, it's like... you have a bit of blonde in there," said Harry, smirking. "Like Veela blonde, almost, or like... Malfoy blonde..."

Ginny pulled away entirely now.

"Are you asking for a kiss or a slap?" she said in a very false cross voice.

"I don't rather fancy a handprint on my face..." said Harry, a smile tugging on his lips.

"Would you fancy something else on your face?" said Ginny seriously, her eyes dancing with amusement, and she licked her lips.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Oh shut up," she said, starting to giggle furiously.

As Harry started to move towards Ginny, he remembered how the Shield of the Founders used to play music for the Marauders, and he thought he might as well give it a shot.

"Cintrectra," he said, a small bit of rubber flying out of his wand, and smacking the lion on the shield perfectly, and a slow tune started playing from nowhere.

I swear that I can go on forever again
Please let me know that my one bad day will end
I will go down as your lover, your friend
Give me your lips and with one kiss we begin

Are you afraid of being alone
Cause I am, I'm lost without you
Are you afraid of leaving tonight
Cause I am, I'm lost without you

I'll leave my room open till sunrise for you
I'll keep my eyes patiently focused on you
Where are you now I can hear footsteps I'm dreaming
And if you will, keep me from waking to believe this

Are you afraid of being alone
Cause I am, I'm lost without you
Are you afraid of leaving tonight
Cause I am, I'm lost without you

Are you afraid of being alone
Cause I am, I'm lost without you
Are you afraid of leaving tonight
Cause I am, I'm lost without you
Are you afraid of being alone
Cause I am, I'm lost without you
Are you afraid of leaving tonight
Cause I am, I'm lost without you

I'm lost without you
I'm lost without you

And as Ginny stood up with Harry and they swayed to the music, he realized how true the lyrics of a song could be, as he held Ginny in his arms and he looked down into her hair, and realized just how much she meant to him.

I'm lost without you...

And he knew would be without Ginny there with him.

***

The days passed into weeks, and the weeks turned to months, and as August had come and almost gone, graduation had come, graduation had come, the NEWTs taken and (for most) passed. As of this moment, Harry and Hermione stood on a stage conjured in the Great Hall, with the whole of the Seventh year and their families there.

"I give you Miss Hermione Granger and Mr. Harry Potter, Head Girl and Head Boy for Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall, dressed up in a dark blue robe for graduation day.

The crowd cheered loudly, and Harry could distinctly hear Ron roar, "Those are my best friends up there!"

Hermione walked forwards to the microphone, Harry at her side.

He, as his custom, had not prepared for the speech at hand, and he was silently begging the gods to grant him inspiration at the last second so he didn't look like an idiot.

"My friends and family," started Hermione. "Hogwarts has been my home for seven years, seven years of inspiration, education, adventure, friendship, and... love. It is with both anticipation and remorse that we graduate today, and take our next steps into the wizarding world. I myself, as a muggle-born, have much to explore in the wizarding world as an adult, and I'm certain that even those that grew up accustomed to magic will still feel the same. But our time at Hogwarts, I shall never forget. Here I made my two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Here I learnt..."

Loud snickers went through the crowd of students, and a collective hissing came from their parents.

Hermione grinned nervously as she continued.

"Here I learnt the values of friendship and love, and it is here that I can appreciate my gift of being a magical person, and I can thank heaven that this gift was given to me, and I urge you all to never forget how lucky you are to have this gift yourselves..." she paused. "I thank you, Hogwarts, and all of her staff and students, for changing my life, much for the better."

She nudged Harry nervously, as applause went up through the crowd.

Harry, numb with fear, held the microphone up and smiled to the crowd nervously, receiving several sighs and squeals of pleasure from some girls in the crowd, both young and old, and loud snickers from Seamus, Dean, Neville, and the Weasleys.

"Er..."

Hermione grasped his hand under the booth hardly, and not at all helpfully, digging her longer than average nails into his skin.

"Ah!" he gasped, before getting control of himself.

I can stand the Cruciatus and not Hermione pinching me?

But suddenly, even as he stood, rooted to the floor, inspiration did indeed seem to flood through him, possibly because of Hermione impaling his skin, possibly because he didn't want to look like an idiot, or possibly because he saw Ron elbow Ginny in the crowd and whisper something in her ear.

"I may have been made Head Boy, but it was not for my intelligence or my efforts, and certainly not my fondness for rules," began Harry.

"Too right!" exclaimed McGonagall in a much too loud whisper.

She had the grace to look ashamed, as a few people laughed in the crowd, including Fred and George who let out loud, extremely fake guffaws, and bowling over Ginny who was sitting next to them in a fit of fake laughter.

Harry grimaced slightly as he continued.

"I was made Head Boy because Professor Dumbledore had faith in me. He trusted me to do the right things, to make the most of the opportunities given to me, and try to make others do the same. I believe he made me Head Boy to prepare me for things beyond life at Hogwarts, to give me a sense of responsibility and above all to show that he believed in me. I thank you, Professor Dumbldeore," he said, smiling up at the enchanted sky, not caring whether or not anyone thought he was insane.

A respective silence came over the crowd.

"Which brings me to my message to all of you," he continued when he deemed the time was right, "It isn't the just smartest, the bravest, the most hardworking, nor the most cunning that can succeed. I urge you all to remember this, and remember that you can make a difference, and you can succeed. It is your choices that make you, not your abilities, and I hope to see all of your choices will lead you well in the future, my classmates."

There was a silence in the hall still, everyone gazing intently on him, questioning whether or not his speech was over.

"I wish to thank my friends, my classmates, and my professors for helping me along the first stretch of the road that is life, for granting me support when I needed it, and wisdom over the years so that I could make the right choices when I had to. Hogwarts was the first home I really ever had, and in more ways than one, I am sure I will always think of it as a home. Thank you Hogwarts, for everything you've given me."

He stepped down from the microphone, and walked with Hermione off the stage, muttering, "Sorry for using your speech for inspiration."

"As McGonagall continued on to introduce the prefects, including Ron, Harry and Hermione took a seat near the back, a few rows behind the Grangers, who beamed back at Hermione.

"Harry?" asked Hermione suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Where are you going to live after Hogwarts?"

Harry paused, a new dread starting to come over him just seconds after the initial worry about his speech had dissipated.

"I... I never really thought about it? Probably the Burrow for a while," he said.

"And then?" pressed Hermione.

"I don't know, you?" said Harry.

"D'you want to rent a flat or something together? In London or something, after we get jobs or something... we could be roomies!" she said enthusiastically.

"Roomies?"

"Roommates, Harry. Honestly, didn't you grow up with Muggles?"

"Since when do you use slang..." started Harry, but then he stopped himself. "That's a great idea, Hermione, we can poke around for an apartment somewhere after school's over."

"Great!" grinned Hermione.

"What about Ron?" he asked.

"Ron? You can't expect a girl to move in with her boyfriend straight out of school, can you? It's moving too fast," she said in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

"What girl?" said Harry, grinning stupidly on purpose.

"Oh god, Harry!" said Hermione, exasperated.

"Hey it's Ron!" said Harry, pointing at the stage.

"Ni hao da jia! Wo jiu xiang shuo ji jiu hua..."

"Is he speaking Chinese?" squealed Lavender, doubling over in high pitched laughter.

And so he was.

"Fre-D, George! Ni men liang ge da zei! Wo hen si ni men! Wo zhua dao ni de shi hou wo jiu ba ni de tou ge kan diao!"

Fred and George laughed uproariously in the crowd, giving each other high-fives, beaming at what looked suspiciously like a bar of chocolate in each of their hands. Mrs. Weasley smacked them both on the head, and everyone in the crowd started laughing uproariously.

"Finite Incantatem," said McGonagall in a waspish voice, obviously not pleased with this disruption.

"STUPID GITS! I'LL CUT YOU OPEN AND STUFF YOU UNTIL YOU'RE THE SIZE OF MILICENT BULSTRODE!" roared Ron, who was in mid-rant, apparently not aware that the spell was taken off him and everyone, including a very disapproving Bulstrode family, could hear him.

A very loud, "Eh-HEM!" from McGonagall snapped Ron back to his senses.

"Er... good luck everyone, and have a nice life!" said Ron, sprinting off the stage for Harry and Hermione, his face twisted in an expression of the purest loathing, his face so red Harry was surprised steam wasn't coming out of his ears yet.

"Stupid little..." started Ron.

"Language, Ron!" snapped Hermione.

"I didn't even say anything yet!"

"You were going to!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!'

"Guys," said Harry softly, nervously looking at the stage.

"You know, you just go and assume, Hermione, I wasn't going to..."

"GUYS!" bellowed Harry.

All eyes snapped towards them, Ernie Macmillan, who was on the stage with his mouth open and his arms hanging in the air, stared at him blankly.

McGonagall looked absolutely livid at the disruption.

"Er... sorry," called Harry, feeling stupid. "Carry on!"

"Like I was saying, Hermione," started Ron.

"Not you!" he hissed.

Those two would never stop bickering, thought Harry. It just wouldn't be the same if they did.

***

"Okay! Okay! Line up for the whole-year photograph!" waved the bald photographer enthusiastically.

Ron groaned next to Harry. They had been standing there for the past hour and a half wearing stuffy dress robes, waiting for the others to finish their personal photographs, after completing the house photographs.

"Okay... Gryffs here, Ravens here, Huffs here, and Snakes... I mean Slytherins here," said the photographer, moving a stubby arm with every house.

Twenty minutes later, they were walking up to their common room, where they prepared for the Graduation Ball, only open for Seventh Years, and no dates from other years could be brought, much to Harry's dismay.

"Hey Ron," he said, as Ron nervously smoothed the sleeves of his dress robes, and raked his hair with his other hand.

"What?"

"I'm not going," said Harry.

"What?" repeated Ron, turning his head to look around at Harry.

"I'm going to go see Hagrid one last time before we leave."

"Oh... Hagrid!" exclaimed Ron. "How could we forget?"

"You guys go on to the ball... god knows Hermione's been looking forward to it... I'll send Hagrid your regards," said Harry. "Tell anyone that needs to know where I am."

"Sure, mate."

"Have fun," said Harry, and he, still wearing his fancy dress robes, walked down to Hagrid's hut for the last time as a student, to see his friend and teacher.

***

The last night had passed far too quickly for the seventh years' tastes, and before they knew it, their final moments at Hogwarts had come. Many of them had already crowded in the Great Hall, awaiting the signal from the Professors telling them that their year was over, and they could leave, but Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron were still in the Head Boy and Head Girl dorm, Harry seemingly paralyzed.

"It's the last day," he started hollowly.

"C'mon, Harry, don't worry, we can come back and visit it anytime we want..."

"This was the first home I ever had..."

"C'mon mate, we'll be late!"

"No, you guys go first... I just want a few more minutes... go..."

Ron and Hermione left the dorms, lugging their trunks behind them.

Ginny sighed, and took a seat next to Harry, cuddling up to him and wrapping her arms around his chest.

"It'll be alright Harry... Hogwarts may have been your first home, but it won't be your last..."

"I don't know if I can leave, Ginny."

"Why?"

"This was where I learnt I was more than just a punching bag for Dudley... I found out who I really was here... Hogwarts holds my roots, Gin..."

She didn't respond, just wrapped her arms around him gently and stared up into his face, her wide brown eyes thoughtful and caring.

"I... I almost wish Voldemort had never been destroyed," said Harry suddenly. "The war... life in Hogwarts... this is all I have ever known... I don't know if I'll ever be the same away from it all..."

"Don't say that, Harry..."

"It's true, isn't it, Gin? This is who I am. This is what I am... all I'm really good for is Defence against the Dark Arts..."

"You're not just some kind of war hero, Harry. You're so much more... You're a wonderful flyer, you're a kind, loving person, and above all, you're Harry. You're the one I love. Now come on, Harry... come with me."

Slowly, he nodded and untangled himself from Ginny, and walked to his trunk.

"We better go," said Harry. "The carriages will be leaving soon."

"Yeah... c'mon."

"Gin?"

"Yes, Harry?" she said, fumbling with her trunk.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

And turning to the dorms one last time, he nodded to himself, and levitating his trunk into the air, he opened the portrait hole and started running for the exit, Ginny beside him.

They just made it in time to reach a carriage, where Ron and Hermione were waiting, looking anxious.

"Goodbye, Hogwarts," he said solemnly, and as if on cue, the thestrals started galloping.

"Come on!" hollered Ron, in what seemed to be a second later.

Surprisingly, they had already arrived at the platform, and the students had already boarded the train, the four of them being the last ones still on the platform.

Running onto the train, they journeyed up and down the train, struggling to find a compartment, in the end settling for one already holding Luna and Neville.

Throwing down her trunk, Hermione plopped down next to Luna.

"Come on!" she cried. "We can still see it!"

Harry leapt to the window, soaking in the majestic beauty that was Hogwarts castle, which was slowly fading away, until Harry could just see a newly repaired Divination Tower, and then, as he blinked, Hogwarts disappeared behind a hill, and he could see no more.

Harry continued staring at the place where Hogwarts had been, hoping that the train would turn another corner and he could get another glimpse of it, but it became clear to him after fifteen more minutes that it would not happen.

Turning back to his friends, he joined them in a game of exploding snap, ignoring the feeling of sadness that started welling up in his soul.

"So where are you going to live now, Neville?" asked Ron, an hour later, coming back from the restroom.

"Oh, I'll still live at my Gran's for a while, until I get a job... preferably at the Ministry... Gran has this feeling, as she says, that I'm going to get a high rank one day... mind you, I did okay on my NEWTs, Great Uncle Algie's going to buy me a new broomstick..."

Ron snorted, clapping Neville on the back.

"Why, where are you going to live?" asked Neville, looking around.

"Me and Ginny are going to live at the Burrow until we grow old and have white hair," said Ron proudly.

"What he means is, Neville, we're going to live at the Burrow until we find jobs - in his case that might just be until he's old... but I still have one more year at Hogwarts..."

"And you guys?" said Neville, indicating Hermione and Harry.

"We're going to go rent a flat or something," said Hermione vaguely.

"We're?" said Ron, his attention snapping onto Hermione.

"Me and Harry," said Hermione.

"Didn't we tell you?" said Harry, frowning. "We're going to be broomies..."

"Roomies, Harry."

"But... what about me?" asked Ron, looking outraged.

"Well as you said," started Harry.

"You can't expect a girl to move in with her boyfriend right out of school, can you?" said Hermione. "It's moving far too fast."

"Girl? What girl?" said Ron.

Hermione huffed, glaring at Ron and Harry.

Ron, looking slightly disgruntled, pulled Ginny towards him, slinging his arm around in her in a brotherly fashion, and messing up her hair.

"How bout it, Gin? Let's go get a house in... Manchester or something..."

"Eww... you wiped mayonnaise all over my hair," groaned Ginny.

"Mayonnaise? I didn't have any mayonnaise today..."

"Well what else is white and slimy?" asked Ginny.

"I can think of a few things," said Harry. "And none of them are things you'd want in your hair."

Ginny suddenly grimaced.

"URGH!" she bellowed. "You sick... you... URGH!"

Slapping Ron hard on the face, she announced that she was going to run her hair under the sink until she could be sure that the white stuff was gone.

"You poor, misguided boy," said Harry, leaning back and helping himself to a pumpkin pasty.

"What? What's Ginny on about?" said Ron, clutching his face.

Hermione flushed red, giggling furiously.

Harry struggled not to join her, and ultimately failing as he broke out into laughter a few seconds later.

Neville looked just as confused as Ron, and Luna sang 'Hot Cross Buns' under her breath.

Poor Ron had no idea what had upset his sister so much, so he turned back to his sandwich and exclaimed, "Oh, there is mayonnaise in this!"

***

"Ginny! Ron! Harry! Hermione!" called the Weasleys who were waiting for the four of them at the platform - Hermione had asked her parents to allow her to stay at the Burrow for a few weeks until she and Harry would find a flat to rent.

"Hi mum!" squealed Ginny.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley," said Harry and Hermione.

"Hey Ginny!" hollered Fred and George. "How's our little winky Ginky-Gin-Ginny-Gin-Ginkiedums?"

"Swallow a brain-remover mint or something?" smirked Ginny, and smacked her brothers playfully. "You just saw me yesterday!"

"Come on now, let's get off the platform and head home now, shall we?" said Mrs. Weasley, ushering them off to the platform to where a car was parked.

"Hello all!" said Mr. Weasley enthusiastically. "Like our new car? The Ministry gave it to us as a 'reward for out contributions'..."

"Wonderful, Dad!" exclaimed Ginny, and her father hugged her happily.

"What about me, dad?" said Ron. "Wait, on second thought, never mind."

Harry caught Ginny's eye and they laughed aloud, as they got into the car and Mr. Weasley drove away, back to the Burrow.

***

Later on that day, after they had finished their massive 'Welcome Home' dinner, Harry and Ginny sat outside in the backyard, wordlessly staring as the sun slowly began its descent.

"It's not so bad now, is it, Harry?" said Ginny softly.

"Not bad at all," he replied, surprised at how as soon as those words came out of his mouth, he knew them to be true.

Harry thought back on the times he had spent over the past seven years, in and out of Hogwarts. His thoughts were mostly scrambled until he settled on one distinct memory in the summer before the seventh year.

"Remember last summer in Gringotts, Gin?"

"How could I forget... that huge vault..." she said, yawning widely.

"No, remember what you said to me?"

Ginny didn't reply, thinking hard, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"You said I'll live and grow up happily, I'll get married to a wonderful girl, live my life, have children, watch them live their lives, and even watch their children... I didn't believe you then."

"So you believe me now?" said Ginny softly.

"As long as you're with me, Ginny," he said, painfully aware of how corny he sounded just to express his innermost thoughts.

She smiled at him, and slid an arm around his waist.

"That'll be forever, Harry. I promise."

Another memory suddenly flashed into Harry's mind, and he sprung up suddenly, causing Ginny to jerk back, frightened.

If you ever miss us, Harry... look to the light.

And even as he thought that, he looked to the bright skies, and as the twilight filled the skies, he could almost feel the spectral forms of his loved ones smile down upon him, and maybe it was a trick of the light, but as he started to turn away, he could see what suspiciously looked like his mother's face up in the skies smiling down at him.

"Gin! Look! Can you see?" he said, pointing, slightly unnerved.

"See what, Harry?" said Ginny, slightly cautiously.

"My... never mind, Ginny," he said, finally understanding.

You think the dead we have loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your father is alive in you, Harry...

Harry could see now that Dumbledore had been right that one day.

Not just his father, but his mother, Sirius, Remus, and even Professor Dumbledore himself would never truly leave him.

And then, for the first time in his life, he was truly complete, as he knew all his loved ones were there with him that day.

"Gin?" he said, a smile creeping up on his face.

"Mmhmm?" she murmured.

"Thanks for everything... I love you, Ginny," he said suddenly, and even as her eyes lit up with shock and delight, he bent down and kissed her softly, but with passion like he had never kissed her before, and was never going to kiss her again, until a loud voice coming from the porch broke them apart, just like during the summer.

"Ginny! Come in, mum needs your help with the pies!" hollered Percy's bossy voice.

Ginny let out a low frustrated growl.

"I better go..." she said. "I love you too, Harry."

And with her cheeks flushed and a wide grin on her face, she walked into the house.

Harry looked to her retreating form, and then turned back to the skies once more, where the sun was now almost set.

He could see clearer than before the spectral forms of his loved ones in the skies, even though he knew they were not really there. He could see his best friends, Hermione and Ron bickering beside a window, probably about something small as usual. He could see his pet mysticat Fortuna bounce playfully in the garden with Crookshanks, both batting at what looked suspiciously like a garden gnome. He could see Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, Percy, Bill, and Charlie at the kitchen table, poring over a large piece of parchment over the table. And he could see Mrs. Weasley and Ginny by the kitchen window, chopping up apples. As Ginny saw him outside, she smiled and waved him in.

And Harry smiled, walking back into the Burrow, to friendship, to love, to a home and to a family, the last rays of twilight shining upon him.

The End