“It all comes down to this...� Harry thought. All the years of struggle, pain, and loss... all of it was leading up to this single moment. He stared into the cruel, pitiless red eyes of the broken wizard lying at his feet and slowly raised his wand. As he began speaking the incantation, Harry thought of his parents, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Dumbledore... and Ginny. “It’s the only way.� Without a trace of fear or hesitation, he whispered, “Avada Kedavra!� And with a flash of green light, Harry Potter quietly fell to the ground.

****


“NOOOOO!� Ron, Hermione, and Ginny rushed towards Harry’s lifeless form. Ginny reached him first and immediately flung herself to the ground, wrapping her arms around him. “GET UP!� she begged. “Don’t you DARE make me ask again, Potter!� Ron and Hermione were so profoundly unnerved by these words (and by Harry’s clouded green eyes staring blankly upward) they failed to notice the blood curdling scream that pierced the night air. Next to Harry and Ginny, a shrieking Lord Voldemort writhed in pain, his body being contorted by some unseen force. A jet of red light suddenly burst from his chest, illuminating the dark sky with a bloody glow. And then, just as suddenly, all was silent and still once again. Ron and Hermione stared at Voldemort's pale body and realized with hollow satisfaction that the Dark Lord was defeated at last.

A strangled cry turned their attention back to Ginny, who was half sobbing, half convulsing in grief. She was still cradling Harry’s head, crying into his rumpled black hair, holding his limp hand to her heart. Hermione couldn’t stand to watch and buried her watery eyes into Ron’s shoulder (though it was several minutes before he realized why his shoulder was wet). Ron was numb; a heavy sadness had settled deep within his chest, constricting his lungs and crushing his heart. He watched his baby sister, hysterically weeping over the body of his best mate; he didn’t know whether he wanted to weep next to her, pick her up and comfort her, or simply run away from it all.

Finally, Ron could stand it no longer. Giving Hermione a quick, reassuring hug, he let go of her and walked resolutely towards Ginny. He didn’t want to do this... With each heavy step, Ron asked himself "How could this be happening?" He stood over Ginny and Harry’s body for one bitter moment, then bent down and gently took hold of Ginny’s arm. She resisted, struggling beneath his firm grip. Ron tried to pull his thrashing sister from Harry, tearfully whispering, “He’s gone, Gin. Let him go.� Through her tears she screamed, “I WON’T! I’M NOT LETTING GO ‘CAUSE HE’S NOT... HE’S NOT!� Refusing to accept what she knew simply couldn’t be true, Ginny gripped Harry’s hand tighter. Harry squeezed back

Ginny’s heart leapt. Wriggling free from Ron’s grasp, she knelt down beside Harry and gently touched his face. Had she really felt what she thought she’d felt? She stared desperately into his eyes, willing them to connect with hers. Suddenly, Harry gave a great shudder; his now brilliant emerald eyes darting around wildly before finally settling on Ginny. They stared at each other for what seemed a lifetime before Harry wordlessly pulled her toward him, their faces inching closer. When their lips touched, the world melted away, and they sank into each other...

When they broke apart, Harry just stared at Ginny, never wanting to look away. She was so beautiful in the moonlight... She smiled shyly back at him, cheeks flushed, her eyes brimming with tears. And then she punched him hard in the arm. “Harry James Potter, what the hell were you thinking?!� she roared, a fiery expression on her face. “Performing a Killing Curse on yourself, I ask you...� Harry hugged her closer to him and sighed. “I had to,� he said simply. “I was the seventh Horcrux.�

****


The next week was a blur. While the wizarding world celebrated, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny enjoyed the seclusion of The Burrow. Harry could not remember feeling so happy, so complete. That night, as they had every night since their return, the friends fell asleep in front of the fire in the Weaslys’ living room--except for Harry. He preferred to watch Ginny sleeping peacefully in his arms. He never wanted to let her go. Yet something was still gnawing at Harry... He carefully unfolded Ginny from his grasp and—after taking a moment to watch her breathe in and out—quietly snuck outside.


He wandered around the garden, thinking. Why was he alive? All the Horcruxes had to be destroyed—or rather, all the pieces of Voldemort’s soul had to be destroyed—in order for Voldemort to die, really die. If I’m alive, does that mean Voldemo— Harry was interrupted by Hermione before he could finish the ghastly thought. She smiled at him. “I thought I heard you leave.� He looked sheepishly at her. Before he could offer an explanation, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him back inside the house, steering him towards the kitchen.


“Lumos!� she whispered. Sitting on the kitchen table was a very old, very dusty, book. “I know you’ve been wondering, Harry. I wondered, too! But he’s not coming back,� Hermione explained. Harry looked at her incredulously; he wanted to believe her, but... “Oh, honestly, Harry. You’re worse than Ron!� she sighed, reading the look on his face. “Now read!� she commanded. Harry didn’t argue, and looked at the paragraph illuminated by the light of Hermione’s wand.


Adamoculume. When a lover gives of his body, mind, and soul, the soul resides in his beloved’s heart, ever living, never leaving. The lovers’ souls are bound by eternity, inextricably joined, never to be separated.


Harry stopped breathing, his heart swelled with hope. He could feel Hermione gazing warmly at him, but couldn’t quite meet her eye. He finally managed to croak, “So you’re saying Ginny is, er... like my sort of Horcrux in reverse? So you’re saying that she... er, that I...� Hermione laughed. “Oh, come off it, Harry! Don’t you see? True love never dies...� Harry didn’t know what to say. He had to ask. “Er, do you think Ginny, you know... I mean, has she told you... does she?� He stared at Hermione with pleading eyes, begging her, praying that he’d understood her correctly. With a mischievous wink, Hermione replied, “Only one way to find out!� And with a toss of her bushy hair, she skipped merrily back to the living room, leaving a dumbfounded (and thoroughly blushing) Harry standing in the dark.

Sitting at the Weasleys' kitchen table in total darkness, Harry was vaguely aware that his arms--which had been supporting his seething head for nearly two hours--were numb, though he wasn't sure if this was from lack of movement or from the shock of Hermione's cryptic revelation. The realization that he truly did... that Ginny might actually... Two hours and Harry still had not fully processed the conversation. His body and mind were in a state of total agitation. The last time Harry's stomach had been this squirmy was in his fourth year when he had eaten gillyweed. Oddly enough, the gillyweed had also affected similar sensations of dizziness and suffocation.


Harry knew what he felt for Ginny. He even knew what he had to do, what he had to say. The only problem was how. Harry had never been one for emotionally charged conversation. To further complicate matters, he'd never had much confidence when it came to women. He'd never had much confidence period except for when he was--- The answer came to him in all its glorious simplicity: "Play to your strengths, Potter."


*****



Gingerly, Harry made his way back into the living room, taking the utmost care not to wake his sleeping friends. He didn't want an audience, particularly not one consisting of an overprotective big brother and a know-all best friend. Without warning, Ron gave an almighty snore that stopped Harry cold. Silently cursing Ron's deviated septum, Harry cast an apprehensive glance at Hermione. Miraculously, she seemed undisturbed by the window rattling noise now eminating from Ron. Those two really are made for each other... Harry thought acerbically.

Though certain that Hermione was still asleep, it was another full minute before he dared make his final approach to the sofa where Ginny lay sleeping.

Kneeling beside her, Harry whispered, "Ginny?" She responded with a slight twitch of her nose.

"Ginny?" he repeated, brushing a wayward strand of hair from her face.

"GINNY!" he hissed in exasperation.

"H-h-hullo," she yawned back, giving Harry a sleepy smile. "Is there a reason you've just ruined my lovely dream? I was about to turn Phlegm into a stinkbug..."

Harry stifled a laugh. "Well, I did have something planned, but clearly you'd rather go back to sle--" He was interrupted by a Ginny-flung pillow that hit him squarely in the face.

"Does that mean you're coming with me, then?" he asked with a grin.

As they tiptoed out of the living room, Harry stole one last glimpse at Hermione and saw what looked suspiciously like a smile creep across her face.


*****


Hand in hand, Harry led Ginny out to the garden and into the Weasleys' old broom shed. Even in the dim early morning light, he could see the disgruntled glare now fixed upon him.

"Harry, I hope you didn't wake me up just so we could snog in this manky old outhouse!" Ginny said coolly. "'Cause Ron's dead asleep and I've got a perfectly empty bedroom upstairs..."

Harry, thoroughly tempted by this proposition, momentarily considered abandoning his own plan in its favor.

"Um, just grab a broom for now," he sighed, fervently hoping Ginny had not seen the look of sheer hormonally charged bliss that had crossed his face.

Back in the garden, Harry took Ginny by the hand and said, "Just follow me, okay?"

With a quick kiss they each kicked off into the air. Harry took a moment to savor the cool morning breeze whipping past his face and the revitalizing surge of confidence from being back in his element. He looked over at Ginny and couldn't help but smile at the expression of unadulterated exhileration she was wearing. She was beautiful.

"Try and keep up, Ginerva!" Harry called mischievously, rolling over in midair to avoid Ginny who--at the sound of her full name--had shot toward him like an overly aggresive Bludger.

Over the next half hour while the sun slowly peeked out from behind the horizon, Harry and Ginny soared--weaving, diving, laughing. They stopped and watched as the sun made its final ascent, hovering arm in arm.

"Isn't is gorgeous?" Ginny murmured, awestruck by a particularly brilliant crimson shade that coloured the sky.

Harry, who was more enraptured by the fiery tones of Ginny's hair in the sunlight, did not take his eyes from her as he answered, "Definitely..."


*****


It's now or never...Harry told himself. "Ginny, I've got to talk to you about something," he croaked, the familiar numbness and nausea threatening to overpower him.

"Alright, how about my ravishing good looks, Chocolate Frogs, or maybe that large growth on Mad-Eye's chin?" she suggested, batting eyelashes.

"Er, I had something in mind, actually. Seriously."

"Oh..." she said softly. "Harry, this is about Adamoculume isn't it?"

"What?! B-b-but you aren't suppo--" Harry sputtered, nearly falling off his Firebolt. "How do you know about that?!"

"First of all, you prat," Ginny spat impatiently, "you left that book you were reading in plain sight! Second, if you'd stuck around for your seventh year of Defense Against the Dark Arts like me instead of scouring Britain for Horcruxes and dark wizards you'd have already known about it, too!"

Harry stared at the far off ground. This was it. His throat felt tight and his mouth just couldn't seem to form the words. "Gin, I don't know how to say this..."

"Don't worry, I'll spare you the trouble," she said softly, a solitary tear slipping down her cheek. "I love you, Harry..."

A sonic boom exploded in Harry's heart. Her words reverberated in his ears, their energy flowing through his body like a phoenix song. She loved him. Pausing only long enough to say, "I love you more," Harry kissed Ginny, a kiss that was his first broomstick ride, Felix Felicis, and warm butterbeer. Overhead, the sun shone its approval, enveloping them in its warm rays.


*****


After what seemed like forever--and yet all too soon--they pulled apart, smiling shyly as though they shared some wonderful secret.

"You have to admit, though, you sort of stole my thunder," Harry said, feigning a bruised ego.

"What?!" Ginny snorted. "Harry, it took you six years to pluck up the courage to kiss me! Who knows how long it would've taken for you to actually tell me you love me! I figured I'd save us both a decade and tell you first."

"Hang on..." Harry started to argue, his pride now genuinely hurt. The impish twinkle in Ginny's eye (coupled with the fact that she was right) shut him up. He grinned. Just as he leaned in to kiss Ginny once more, an ear-splitting scream shattered the still morning air--a scream that came from the Burrow...