Her song so sweet drew then neigh, seducing their hearts. She loved them true, each one, these men so gallant, so brave… and she wept –even as she fed on their flesh- she wept. - Brom

A/N: I’m all sad, so is this chapter. Contain some talk of suicide or something like it, but it’s a pivotal chapter and must be read to understand the plot.

Disclaimer: All J.K. characters and plot lines and places are not mine, get over it, I have.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Hogsmeade the very next day

Harry stood by the dying fire in the Gryffindor Common Room waiting for Ron, but mostly waiting for Ginny. But Harry could not admit that, now could he? All the secrecy surrounding his relationship with Ginny was starting to really get on his nerves. He was finally completely comfortable with the fact that he was in love, but more so he was ecstatic that he was in love. He wanted to scream it from the mountain tops, but he thought that he ought to tell Ginny that he loved her first. The mountain tops would always be there right?

But Harry was scared of how she might react. Love was a big step.

“Harry?” Ginny asked walking down the stairs her pale legs peaking out from underneath Harry’s shirt. Harry turned towards her and smiled.

“Yes, Ginny.” Harry said walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

“You know that bad feeling you said you had?” Ginny asked putting her hands on his chest.

“It’s nothing, Ginny, I swear.” Harry said trying to convince himself as much as her.

“I think you’re right about it, though. I was lying in bed after you left and my chest started getting tight. I didn’t want to take any chances so I came to see you.” Ginny said. “For some reason when ever I’m near you I feel safe.”

“I’ll always be here, baby. Whenever you’re sad, scared, or even happy I’m right here and I want you to know that I’m not going anywhere.” Harry said he had to clench his jaw to keep from saying what his heart was screaming at him. Ginny looked up at him and noticed his almost pained expression.

“Harry, are you all right?” Ginny asked touching Harry’s cheek, Harry leaned into the caress welcoming her touch he sighed in contentment.

“I love you.” Harry whispered lost in her touch. Ginny’s eyes widened as Harry’s eyes closed.

“Really?” Ginny asked taking advantage of the trance like state that Harry was in.

“Hmmhmm…” Harry mumbled. “I want to scream it from the mountain tops.”

“Maybe that isn’t a very good idea right now.” Ginny said at a loss as to the proper way to respond.

“Well, obviously, baby, I’m not on a mountain top, now am I?” Harry asked opening his eyes and looking at her. Ginny just smiled and laughed quietly. “Do you realize that you have the most beautiful face?” Harry asked, Ginny blushed. “I love you so much, Ginny.” Harry said kissing her softly yet passionately.

“Harry, I don’t know what-…” Ginny began.

“Shh… it’s okay, Ginny. You don’t have to love me back. You just have to know that I do truly deeply love you.” Harry said interrupting her. “Why don’t you go get dressed and come back down when you’re ready.” Harry suggested. Ginny just nodded.

Later that morning Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione walked out in the fluffy white snow to Hogsmeade.

“What do you want for Christmas, Ginny?” Harry asked as they walked into the small town.

“Why are you buying your ex-girlfriend a present?” Ron asked.

“Because we’re friends and friends buy each other presents.” Harry said looking oddly at Ron.

“Really, Ron.” Ginny said.

“Okay, so what’s our game plan?” Hermione asked stopping in the middle of the street.

“Watch out!” Some Slytherin said while violently running into Hermione and his friend running into Ginny just as hard. Harry grabbed Ginny before she fell down and gave the Slytherins a look that told them if they touched his girl again they would die.

“Why don’t Ginny and I go pick out presents for each other and we’ll meet somewhere later?” Harry suggested walking away from Ron and Hermione while dragging Ginny behind him. Ron was too busy looking mad at the Slytherins to notice Harry’s departure and Hermione gave them a knowing look. Harry dragged Ginny deep into an ally between the stores and looked her over more closely. “How do you feel, baby? Does anything hurt?” Harry asked quickly touching at great length the shoulder that was run into.

“I’m fine, Harry.” Ginny said.

“Are you sure?” Harry asked.

“Yes, Harry, I’m fabulous. Now, please stop.” Ginny said removing Harry’s hands from her shoulder. Harry withdrew his hand and his face fell. He finally speaks his heart and she does not want him anymore, or at least that’s what Harry thought.

“Okay, good… um… I’ll just go then, shall I?” Harry did not wait for a response and just walked away from Ginny. He walked alone through the village with his head down. He went to the only place he knew no one would go to. The Shrieking Shack. He went inside and sat down on the dusty floor. Harry closed his eyes and saw another flashback.

His father was sitting right were Harry was sitting looking just as glum and put out as Harry felt. James rubbed his hands over his face knocking his glasses off in the process.

Harry opened his eyes and the image was gone. “I should have known.” Harry said to himself. “Everything I love gets taken away from me in one way or another. Why should she be any different?”

Harry felt a sharp pain in his chest and knew that his heart was breaking. And anyone who knows anything about Pagans knows that a broken heart can be fatal.

Harry’s breathing became strained, he struggled to stand up and stumble to the door. He fell out the door and down into the snow. Still breathing heavily he got up, his vision started to blur and he flung off his glass which did not help at all. He walked to the fence and grabbed onto it as he fell to his knees.

And then he saw his salvation. A beautiful red haired Ginny running towards him, she was slightly blurred but Harry could have sworn he saw people behind her. As she came closer Harry could hear her calling his name. The pain in his chest gave a sharp burst and he screamed in pain. Harry clenched a fist over his heart and started to cough scarlet droplets on the pure white snow.

Ginny was saying something to him, she was shaking his shoulders to get him to look up at her, to do anything but cough up blood. She was crying, Harry could tell. She was holding him close but his eyes were glazing over.

In the blur that was now his vision Harry saw three dark figures moving towards them. Ginny had already turned and pulled out her wand. Harry lay on his side in the snow wheezing for breath and coughing as the blood in his mouth moved back into his lungs.

The last thing Harry remembered was a pure white light coming out of Ginny, hitting the dark figures and throwing them out of sight. With all that was left of Harry’s strength he reached out and touched Ginny’s leg. The light stopped, Ginny fainted and Harry passed out.

Harry could hear someone talking in whispers around him. He wondered vaguely why he could hear anything. He was so sure that he had died. But he did not care about the whispers. He was ready to let go, to die. Ginny was his sole reason to fight to live, but she did not love him. She did not want to be with him. So why live? Why fight? Nothing mattered anymore.

Harry tried to stop thinking, tried to not listen to the whispers. But the whispers continued and Harry found himself listening.

“Ron, I told you already, the Healers don’t know what happened.” Harry heard someone female say, nothing was registering. Who was Ron again?

“I know, Hermione, but you can’t stop a bloke from asking the same question and hoping for a different answer.” Ron said. The whispers quieted for awhile.

“How’s Ginny?” Hermione asked.

“Mum said she woke up a couple of hours ago. The Healers said that she was completely drained of energy.” Ron said.

“What happened to them, did she say?” Hermione asked desperately.

“She said she went to find Harry, because he walked away from her. And when she found him he was stumbling around and fell down. She said he was coughing up blood and wouldn’t respond to her. Then those damn Slytherins ganged up on her, she said the rest was a blur. All she remembers was feeling like she was being torn open and all of her energy was being forced out of her and it wouldn’t stop until Harry touched her leg.” Ron said.

“They’re dead aren’t they?” Hermione asked in a tiny whispered.

“Whatever came out of Ginny flung them so hard when they finally stopped their necks had already broken. She doesn’t know yet, mum doesn’t want her to.” Ron said. They stood quietly again. Harry squinted his eyes and thought.

Everything that was just said sounded familiar. But nothing mattered, Harry reminded himself. Ginny did not want to be with him anymore.

Harry felt the pain in his chest again, it was abrupt and strong. Harry curled up in a ball and clawed at his chest. He felt arms trying to hold him down to keep from clawing at the pain in his chest. There was screaming and yelling but Harry could make no sense of it. He started coughing again, he could not breath. As he coughed he stopped fighting the arms and splattered blood all over the crisp white sheets of his hospital bed. The coughing stopped just to start again when ever he tried to breathe a strangled breath.

Harry made up his mind that the arms trying to hold him down were bad and that he needed to get somewhere quiet to finish what he had started. Harry could see but barely. So, he stilled under the arms grasps. The hands loosened and Harry bolted out of the bed and stumbled towards the wall where he fell and cough blood all over the wall. Someone picked him up and put him back on the bed as he passed out again.

Hermione was in the corner of Ginny’s hospital room crying after Harry’s little episode. Ginny had silent tears running down her cheeks as well having heard about it from Remus who had picked up Harry and put him back in bed.

“Do you think that he got cursed or something?” Ginny asked. Hermione could only answer with a choked sob. Ron walked in and looked like he was about to cry too. “What? What happened?” Ginny asked.

“They strapped him down in case he did it again.” Ron said. Hermione began to cry harder. Ron walked over to her and hugged her. Ginny looked at them and more tears ran down her face. Ginny wiped the tears from her face and threw off her blanket. She got out of bed and made for the door. “Ginny, the Healer said that you need to stay in bed for a while.” Ron said.

“What I need right now is to see my boyfriend.” Ginny snapped at Ron.

“Her boyfriend?” Ron asked turning to Hermione, who just sobbed some more and nodded.

Ginny walked down the hall to Harry’s room and cracked open the door Remus and Professor Juarbe were talking in hushed voices.

“What’s wrong with him, Joshua?” Remus asked.

“He is reacting the way all Dien do when their heart has been broken.” Juarbe said. Ginny looked and listened on confused.

“What could have brought this on? He and Ginny looked so happy last time I saw them.” Remus said leaning on the bed railings.

“Remus, Ms. Weasley is human and in accordance with her species she will never fully comprehend the importance of love from a pure blooded Pagan. She probably denied him, abandoned him, told him to leave her or broke up with him. And he went away and thought. And finally came across the idea that she didn’t love him, that she didn’t want him and therefore he had no reason to exist. Remus, you do understand what he is trying to do to himself?” Juarbe asked.

“Yes, I do, but I hope to the Gods I’m wrong.” Remus mumbled.

“He is in the beginning stages of Fading. If he successfully begins the process he will die and there is no stopping it.” Juarbe said. Ginny closed the door and stood in the hallway with her hand over her mouth and cried. She had killed her boyfriend.

“How do we stop it?” Remus asked.

“It wouldn’t hurt to place him back in his naturally habitat.” Juarbe said. “It would be a start and would defiantly improve his chances of survival.”

“But then we’re taking him away from the Key.” Remus said shaking his head.

“Ms. Weasley will have to stay here until he is better. How can he protect her if he’s dying?”

“’His mere presence will protect the Key.’” Remus said quoting the Prophecy of the Lost One.

“Perhaps you’re right. But Atu’s there, not here. Which place would you rather put the most precious thing in existence?”

“I can see your point but she’s safer with him then without him.” Remus said.

“Ginny?” Cassandra said touching the sobbing girls shoulder reassuringly.

“They said he’s going to die because he thought I didn’t love him. He’s going to die because of me. I killed my boyfriend. I killed my boyfriend. I killed my boyfriend.” Ginny said hyperventilating.

“Ginny, you didn’t kill him. This is just how Pagans react to certain things.” Cassandra said hugging her.

“But if I had just ‘I love you too,’ when he said it, or if I hadn’t freaked out when he said it, he wouldn’t be dying right now.” Ginny said.

“He’s not going to die, Ginny. He’s too strong for that.”

“But he told me that I’m the only reason he has to fight. Without me he’s nothing. He said it. I’m his reason. And he thinks I hate him. I killed my boyfriend.” Ginny said again. Cassandra just rubbed Ginny’s arm. She did not know what to say because she was beginning to believe that Ginny had in fact killed her boyfriend.

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A/N: I know I don’t usually do this because I think that it takes away from the ending of the chapter but I’m making an exception. I am going to break this story up into parts the way I did for Ten Years in Lost Memory. This is the last chapter for the first part. Nifty ending, eh?