Chapter 1 Under the Mistletoe

Dear Diary,

'I was again at the Quidditch match today because Harry was playing. The weather was very nasty but as long as Harry is playing, I am going to be there. He doesn’t know I am there at all his matches and I don’t think he cares, but it doesn’t matter. It was cold and snowing but Quidditch is the only chance that I get to see him and not blush and that silly sort of thing. Sometimes I hate myself for blushing so easily, especially in front of him. I simply cannot control myself when I see those beautiful big green eyes of his. I never really thanked him properly for saving my life two years ago in that Chamber. Actually I haven’t even spoken to him that much at all. But how can I when I can’t even look at him without turning red all over, let alone carry an intelligent conversation with him? As if it is not embarrassing enough that I did all those stupid things in my first year here and he had to save me. Why would the great Harry Potter like a SILLY LITTLE GIRL LIKE ME? The last time our eyes met one another I was a mess and in tears it was horrible. Anyway, Harry caught the Snitch in time but in doing so he crashed into the boards. My heart and body were in so much pain when I saw him hurt. At that moment, I just wanted so bad to run to him, comfort him, and to hold him tight in my arms. But all I could do was to just stand there hiding behind the crowds of people and watch him from afar, not knowing how he was doing. Later today, I finally worked up the courage to ask Hermione, as casual as I can and trying hard not to blush, how he was. She told me he injured his right shoulder but he should be fine. He is staying at the hospital wing overnight. By the way, Gryffindor won the match against the Slytherins. He was so happy and proud you should have seen the smile and glow in his eyes despite the pain they light up the whole stadium. Everyone was cheering and calling his name. He is always so brave and strong out there, just like he was when he…'

“Ginny, are you asleep? Come and help us with the Christmas decorations,” Hermione said as she was knocking on the door.

Ginny quickly closed her diary and put it under her bed, next to a bunch of Christmas presents that she made for her brothers, Hermoine, and Harry. She pulled Harry’s present out from under her bed and examined the wrapping and the light blue ribbons that she carefully tied into a bow herself. As she was adjusting the bow once again, she thought, since Harry is at the hospital tonight, he will not be in the common room. ”Okay, give me a minute. I am coming.”

Ginny walked downstairs and saw a lot of colorful ornaments and decorations all over the floor. The ceiling was already decorated beautifully. She saw Hermione who was now putting a whole bunch of decorations on the wall while Ron was sitting at the fireplace, waving his wand at the ornaments.

“Hi Ron, Hermione, need any help?” Ginny said as she was walking down and smiling at them. She was impressed with what they have done with the place.

“Hey Ginny,” said Ron, Hermione, and…

Ginny froze immediately because she heard a third voice that was all too familiar to her. It was Harry’s. She couldn’t see him at first because he was sitting across from Ron at the fireplace. She could see his jet black hair from behind the sofa now. Her heart was beating loud and her face was becoming warm as she was staring at the sofa.

“Don’t go to bed that early. Come and join us. Ron is trying to get the ornaments to dance,” said Hermione.

Harry got up and turned to Ginny, “I’ll help too.”

Ginny immediately looked down, afraid of seeing Harry and having the others notice her blushing. She darted towards Hermione and started to smooth a banner on the floor. From the corner of her eye she could see Harry in a cast and Ron was now writing something on it. She felt good seeing Harry was okay in one piece.

“Are you sure it is a good idea to sneak out of the hospital with a bad shoulder like that?” asked Ron.

“I feel fine. I couldn’t sleep anyway so I thought I would come over here and help you guys with the decorations,” said Harry as he examined the picture of a spider that Ron had just drew.

“Aren’t you completely beat after a game like that?” asked Hermione.

“Ginny, why don’t you give Harry a hand and put up the bells over there?” Ron pointed to a bunch of bags next to the staircase.

Ginny could feel her cheeks warmer. Without answering and with her head still down, she walked towards the pile of boxes across the room.

Harry walked towards the staircase and tried to open the bag with his good arm,”These are cool. Where did you get them?”

“Last week at Hogsmeade. You were too busy with practice so we went ourselves,” said Ron as he noticed her sister still examining the boxes, “Ginny, why are you looking at the empty boxes? The bells are next to the staircase. Now go help Harry open the packages.”

Without saying anything, she walked toward the staircase with her head down. She kept her eye on the bag that Harry was holding. Harry handed it to her and then reached down to check out the other packages at the staircase.

”These are amazing. I have never seen anything like it before,” said Harry as he examined the contents.

“Mistletoe!” cried Hermione as she was looking at Harry and Ginny from across the room.

The three of them looked at her confused.

“Guys, you don’t know what a mistletoe is? Look, Ron. Harry and Ginny are standing under it. That means they have to give each other a kiss,” said Hermione,”Come on Harry, give Ginny a kiss.”

Ginny was in complete shock and was too afraid to look up to see if there was a mistletoe. She could feel her face turning very red and her heart was pounding in her ears as Harry moved closer to her. She had fantasized about kissing Harry a thousand times before and all those times she felt so naturally comfortable and loved. Now it was actually happening. She immediately closed her eyes when Harry held her chin and gently tilted her head up. Her body was shaking and she knew Harry could see how red she was. Perhaps he could hear her heart pounding but it didn’t matter. She reached her arm out and placed it around Harry’s waist and tightened her lips, ready to kiss him as his face inched closer.

This is the best moment of my life, she thought to herself, I am the luckiest girl…

Harry kissed her on the forehead.

Chapter 2 Dream Catcher

Ginny stood there frozen and her mind went to a blank. Her arm slid off Harry’s waist and she opened her eyes widely only to see him flash a slight smile at her. Then he proceeded to reach down and continued checking out the other packages next to them. At that moment, she thought she was going to die, like her heart had stop beating and crashed into her stomach. Her shaking body had now gone into an icy cold shiver.

“I’m heading upstairs now. Goodnight,” Ginny called out abruptly to them.

She took one last glance at Harry and then hurried upstairs so they wouldn’t see her tears, which by now were all over her face. Struggling to open her door, she stormed inside her deserted room and crashed onto the side of her bed, of which she retrieved Harry’s present and her diary from under it. Her hair was now all over her face as she clutched the present and her diary in her hands tightly across her chest.

“How can I be so stupid?” she screamed to herself, pushing her hair out of her eyes and flipping through the pages of the diary. She was disgusted to see that almost every single page was about Harry.

She threw the diary across the room and yelled across the room, ”He considers me only like his little sister, like Ron and Fred and George think of me, nothing more, nothing less!”

She tore the bow and wrappings and ripped open the box to pull out a pair of snow-white doves. There was a note in which she wrote, “To Harry, I hope you will find peace. Love Ginny.”

“Nothing more, nothing less,” she cried, pulling the doves tightly to her chest.

For the next week, Ginny spent more or less all of her time in her room hiding from Harry. This was more difficult than before because school was almost deserted now that most students, including her roommates, went home for the holidays.

Harry wasn’t feeling any better either. He didn’t need a cast anymore but there was no Quidditch because of the holidays. For many nights now he had been having nightmares about his parents. He sensed Ron and Hermione trying to include him in their gatherings but even he knew when was best to say no, so he didn’t tell them about his nightmares. Ron and Hermione were now like a couple and he didn’t want to be the third wheel. He felt bad that he sneaked out of the hospital that night and barged in on them. Nevertheless, Christmas at Hogwarts was definitely better than being at his Uncle’s, but there was still a terrible feeling of emptiness inside him. The feeling of being different from other fourteen year olds was underscored by seeing everyone else having so many friends, families, and relationships to busy with.

It was Christmas Eve and Harry was tossing and turning in his bed after another nightmare about his mother’s death. Her screams were still vivid in his mind. He turned to Ron’s bed, which was empty. This was not a surprise to him. After all, Hermoine was staying at Horwarts to be with Ron. He decided to get out of bed and strolled down to the common room to enjoy the fireplace and tree.

There were many presents under the tree. Harry had already stacked his presents under it. He sat down next to the fireplace and admired the beautifully decorated common room, which was deadly quiet except for the whistlings of the fire. He began to think about his parents and godfather and how much he wanted to be with them and to know them better. As his eyes scanned across the room, they stopped at the mistletoe above the staircase. Harry still felt sick from the nightmare but he smiled at it and thought of Ginny. Suddenly, he heard a few slow footsteps from the upper staircase.

“Ginny, is that you?” Harry called and opened his eyes wide, thinking it couldn’t be anyone else. In fact, he was hoping it was her because he wasn’t ready for any unexpected surprises since he was still a bit shaken from the nightmare.

“Oh…Hi Harry…I thought you went to bed already,” Ginny’s voice echoed, trying to sound friendly. She was carrying many boxes of presents.

“I already stacked mine next to Ron,” Harry kept his gaze on her and he noticed her really focused on the presents she was carrying, “Let me give you a hand.”

He got up, walked toward the tree next to Ginny, and stacked the presents around it. The whole time Harry noticed her very focused on the presents, like she was in a trance. It was also very quiet because no one was saying anything.

“Ginny, it is past midnight so it is Christmas now. So why don’t you open my present?” Harry asked as he retrieved a light blue box from the pile and handed it to her.

Her head suddenly looked up at him and her mouth was half opened as their eyes locked.

“Come on, open it,” Harry smiled, still gazing at her brown eyes.

Ginny broke off her gaze and her eyes were at the gorgeous light blue box. The color somehow made her feel at ease. She had just realized that she wasn’t blushing at all, but her heart was still pounding fast.

She opened the box. It was a dream catcher.

“Hang this in your room. I want you to have the best dreams in the world. Don’t be like me, always having nightmares all the time,” whispered Harry.

After another silent pause, she muttered, “Thanks, it is beautiful.” Her mind was very confused and full of emotions right now. She felt like she was going to explode. As she did not know what to make of this, she looked at the light blue box and suddenly she remembered the light blue ribbon that she ripped off Harry’s gift last week.

“OH, NO, Harry’s gift. What do I do now…”

Chapter 3 Harry's Nightmare

“Harry, I have a present for you too. I just remembered I left it upstairs. Let me go get it,” Ginny stuttered as she ran upstairs. “Wait here!”

She ran into her room and looked around desperately for his gift. Seeing the doves that were lying in her bed, she grabbed it immediately. But she remembered she wrote him a note too. She looked everywhere but still couldn’t find it. Afraid of having him wait too long in the common room by himself, she gave up. She walked downstairs very slowly, trying to calm herself down and catch her breath.

Harry was standing by the Christmas tree, still admiring and grinning at the mistletoe hung just above the staircase. As soon as he saw her come down, his longing eyes immediately focused on her, who was holding a pair of snow-white doves in her hands against her chest. Her head was down but he noticed that her long shiny red hair was caressing her face and dancing with every step she took. It had just occurred to him that Ron’s sister was such a stunningly beautiful girl, almost angel-like and ethereal. A warm fuzzy feeling emerged inside him, gradually replacing the coldness that had lingered from his nightmare. She unknowingly had him mesmerized.

Suddenly, Ginny paused awkwardly as she stared blankly at the doves. She had just noticed that she didn’t rewrap the gift.

“Sorry, Harry. I didn’t have a chance to wrap your gift, but I hope this will bring you peace,” she said sheepishly, handing to doves to him. But Harry just stood there frozen and did not reach for the doves, because what Ginny said struck a nerve in him for some reason. His eyes were still focused on her face. Standing motionless, he tried to respond but he found himself lost for words, “Ginny, I…”

She looked up at him, but he abruptly turned away because he sensed his eyes were beginning to water. He then reached for her arm and guided her with him as he walked towards the chair by the fireplace. As he sat down, images of his nightmare slowly reappeared in his mind again. Ginny was standing in front of him, still holding the doves, with a confused look on her face.

Ginny did not know what to make of this. She was watching him, who had a very sad yearning expression on his face. Feeling a bit uncomfortable from the silence, she finally mumbled to him softly, “You look very pale, Harry. I know it is well past midnight, but tell me about your nightmare…It was your parents, wasn’t it…”

He looked up at her, who was now sitting on the coffee table facing him. In his mind, he was wondering how was it possible that such a young girl could read another person’s mind the way she could, the way she read his. As she placed the doves on his lap, he grabbed both her hands and held them towards him. Ginny was stunned by Harry’s actions as both their eyes were suddenly locked with each other. Harry couldn’t voice the nightmare to her, but as he gazed into her sparkling brown eyes, he could tell that she had understood.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“NO………DON’T HURT HIM…” Harry heard a very familiar screaming voice coming from afar that he recognized was his mother’s. He immediately opened his eyes and got up from the frozen ground. Harry could feel the piercing cold winds blowing through his hair. Not knowing where he was, he looked around desperately and saw blurry images just ahead of him, first a dark shadow hovering over a second image that appeared to be his mum. It was pointing his wand at her. After a flash of green light and a loud thundering bang that shook the ground, he heard echoes of evil laughter as the image of his mum disappeared.

“MUM…NO…” Harry roared at the shadow with his arm outstretched. As the shadow floated away, echoes of laughter continue to rip through his head.

His mind was flooded with desperate thoughts and his body was shaking. Suddenly, out of nowhere a hand grabbed his shoulder that almost made him flip over.

“Harry, Harry, where are we? Are you all right?” Ginny asked him nervously.

Harry found himself standing next to Ginny, who was shivering and clutching her clothes tightly. The cold piercing winds were getting stronger and stronger and ice pellets began to fall from the dark sky. The ground was full of ice and rocks. Fog and debris were swirling around them. He reached for his wand but it wasn’t there. Then the laughter echoed again ahead of him.

“I’m going after it! Wait for me here!” Harry yelled.

“I’M COMING WITH YOU!” Ginny blasted back, gripping his arm tightly.

“NO! IT’S TOO DANGEROUS! STAY HERE, GINNY!” he roared loudly at her as he shook her hand off and started to run.

Harry ran after the echo from the laughter. It was very difficult because of the swirling winds and ice. He couldn’t see too much ahead of him. Suddenly, he slipped and his foot landed on a patch of ice, which gave way as the entire patch of ice broke, swallowing him deep inside the freezing waters. Swimming desperately, he knew he had to get back up before the ice froze again. He realized he was never a good swimmer but he knew his life was depended on it. He swam up as hard as he could and somehow managed to grab the edge of the ice opening and pulled himself out of the icy waters. Panting, shivering and coughing up water, he pushed himself up and tried to run as fast as he could, not knowing which direction to go. Suddenly, he tripped and collapsed onto the ground. Too tired and too cold, he had very little energy left and could no longer get up. Alone and shivering under his water-soaked clothes, all he could do was curl up on the frozen ground.

Chapter 4 The Unconscious Embrace

“Harry! HARRY!” Ginny yelled out as she looked around frantically. “WHERE ARE YOU? SAY SOMETHING! HARRY…PLEASE...ANSWER ME!”

“Ginny…” Harry heard her screams and whimpered faintly, his teeth chattering and his voice fading with every word. “Forget me. Go find a way to get out of here. Find a way out…to.”

Harry lost consciousness.

“HARRY… HARRY…” she continued screaming at the top of her lungs, trying to drown out the echo from the laughter.

Ginny waved her arms around, trying to clear the swirling debris and ice that were blocking her vision. Running and looking in all directions, she finally saw a chilling image of a body on the ground not too far away.

"HARRY!" she screamed.

The winds were getting stronger, making the swirling ice pellets feel like needles. She quickly ran towards the image and gasped in terror at what she saw. Harry laid motionless on the ground, curled up in a fetal position. His body was covered in a thin layer of ice and debris, and his face was white as paper. There was blood which appeared to be frozen on one of his hands. Falling to her knees as a chill pierced down her spine, she screamed and shook him violently, ”HARRY, HARRY…PLEASE, PLEASE GET UP…PLEASE DON’T DIE…”

She removed his broken glasses of which frost was already developing on the shattered lenses. She felt his cheeks and they were cold as ice. Swinging her arms once again to clear the debris, she looked around desperately and noticed a bunch of rocks behind some trees. Behind the rock formation stood what appeared to be a run-down building. Using all her strength she could muster, she pulled his motionless body past the caves, then inside the building and quickly brushed the ice and frost off his body.

“Is anyone here? ANYONE?” Ginny screamed across the room, her voice echoing back to her. She quickly slammed the door shut behind her and peered around. The building appeared to be a small, dusty, abandoned church. Peering around in the dark, she could make out the broken benches, candle-holders, and shattered windows all over the place. At the far end of the church stood a statue of what appeared to be a pair of angels. She quickly pulled Harry into the middle of the aisle.

“Harry, please talk to me. Please... I beg you. Please…” Ginny pleaded as she held his freezing injured hand, pushing his bangs away from his eyes, and tears were rolling down her face.

Harry’s eyes were closed, his face was now grimacing in pain and his entire body was shivering. Looking at him desperately, she realized what had to be done, what she had to do to save him now.

“Harry, I've got to do this. I know what to do. Don’t worry. Everything is going to be okay,” Ginny cried as she quickly removed all of Harry’s wet clothes one by one and set them aside. As she watched him lying helplessly naked on the ground through her tear-filled eyes, she could feel her face in flames, her heart racing faster and faster and her stomach tightening into a knot. In front of her eyes was the boy she had been obsessed with for as long as she could remember. Her powerful feelings of love for him flooded her mind and heart as every vein in her body was burning with desire. These feelings warmed her up considerably. With a longing look on her face, she could painfully see the bruises on his chest and legs. Trying to hold back her tears, she removed her clothes and used them to dry his face, hair, and every inch of his body. Then she spread the rest of her clothes across the dirt-filled ground like a bed sheet. He moaned in pain as she rolled him onto them. Hearing his moans of pain, she immediately gazed at him yearningly, hoping he would wake up. However, seeing that he was still unconscious, she proceeded to tear off a sleeve from the blouse that he was now lying on and used it to wrap his injured hand. Trying desperately to suppress her burning desires for him, she emptied her mind of thoughts, closed her tear-filled eyes, and rested on top of him. With her heartbeat now calming down and no longer blushing, she held his shivering naked body against hers as tight as she could. With the statue of angels beaming at them, she snuggled her head onto his chest and embraced him even tighter. She could feel every part of his body pressed against hers and she could hear his heart beating faintly against her cheeks.

“Harry, please don’t leave me. Please don’t die,” Ginny muttered hopelessly. But he didn’t respond.

Given the dire situation, Ginny was somewhat glad that she could no longer hear the laughter, but she was now beginning to shiver herself while lying on top of him. Trying not to think of the frigid cold and the image of Harry lying naked underneath her, she instead flooded her mind with every single embarrassing awkward blushing moments that she has ever had with him. These reflections were vivid in her mind, playing out like images flashing in front of her eyes. It didn’t take long for her to start blushing again, and it again warmed her up considerably. Before she knew it, she could even hear herself giggle.

Suddenly she felt something warm gliding on her back. It was his arm. No longer grimacing in pain, Harry had raised it slowly and rested it around her waist. A ray of light shone through from one of the broken windows on the side. The winds and ice pellets appeared to have subsided. She raised her head and looked up at him. His eyes were still closed but he now had a faint smile. He seemed to have regained some color back and his cheeks were less cold. Ginny felt relieved at the sight of this as she was stroking his hair, admiring his handsome face. She realized that before this, she had never really seen him without his glasses. Then she rested her head back on his chest and continued to hug him tightly against her. She still didn’t know what this place was and if they were in any danger, but she knew she had to stay strong for him. She was determined to stay with him for as long as it took. She would die for him.

“I love you, Harry Potter,” she whispered tenderly.

Chapter 5 Awakening

Harry abruptly opened his eyes in the middle of the night and found himself in his bed. Suddenly he felt something warm fluttering on his chest. As soon as he reached for it, thinking it was Hedwig, it flew away. Then he noticed he had no clothes on and there were sore bruises on his chest and leg. His blanket was tossed on the floor. As he reached over to scratch his head, he felt a seething pain coming from his hand and he saw that it was wrapped in a blood-stained blue cloth. Feeling very exhausted and confused, he realized he just had another nightmare, only this one appeared very real, although less horrifying than the ones before for some reason. From the corner of his eye, he saw the pair of snow-white doves fluttering their wings on the shelf that he had originally placed them. Thinking that he was hallucinating, he reached for the nightstand but his glasses weren’t there for some reason. Feeling very sore, strange and dizzy he got up, put on his robe and walked towards the doves. He examined them, which stood still like a statue the way they were when Ginny gave them to him earlier that night. Then a shocking stroke of worry and fear crossed his mind as soon as he thought of Ginny and the images of the dream he just had began to come flooding back.

“Harry, still not asleep yet?” Ron yawned as he walked in the room and turned the light on, “Hermione and I talked all night and didn’t realize how late…”

“Where is Ginny?” DID YOU SEE HER?” Harry roared.

Ron stared at him dumbfounded in complete shock, “What is going on? What happened to your hand?”

“No time to explain! Hurry, we have to find her! She is in danger!” Harry yelled, yanking Ron’s arm with him, and ran out.

As they stormed out, they could hear loud desperate cries coming from the common room. Harry could hear tearful pleas of ‘I have to find him…where is Harry…’ and recognized that the voice was Ginny’s. He ran downstairs, yanking Ron’s arm to keep up. Then he abruptly stopped at the bottom of the staircase when he saw Ginny, who was distraught and sobbing, standing in her robe and clutching his clothes tightly in her arms. Hermione was holding his glasses and trying to calm her down.

“GINNY, YOU’RE SAFE?” Harry screamed excitedly when he saw her. “YOU SAVED MY LIFE!”

Ginny looked up with her tear-filled eyes, startled, and turned to him. ”Harry, you are awake! YOU ARE OKAY!” she screamed with the greatest excitement.

She leaped towards him so hard that when he caught her, both crashed onto the steps of the staircase. They threw their arms around each other. Both breathing very hard, they embraced each other passionately, burying their faces into each other’s bodies.

Ron and Hermione were standing there in shock, staring at each other with a look of disbelief on their faces and not knowing what to make of this.

“What the heck is going on?” Hermione couldn’t stand it and shouted at them, “One minute you grabbed my arm and pulled me downstairs yelling something about Harry dying from hypothermia and being unconscious and the next you…” She paused as she noticed that they were still hugging each other, oblivious to what she had just said. Then she continued in a sarcastic tone, ”And the next minute you are practically strangling him…”

Then suddenly, as if Harry and Ginny had just woken up from their trance and realized what they were doing, they froze, got up, and quickly darted away from each other. Both looking down and blushing heavily, they were taking quick nervous glances at each other, not knowing what to do.

Ron and Hermione then fired a whole of bunch of questions at them at once, each one louder than the previous one:

“Harry, what is this about Ginny in danger?”

“Ginny, why did you say Harry was dying?”

“Why were Harry’s glasses in your room?”

“Why are the glasses broken?”

“What happened to your hand?”

“What are you doing with his clothes?”

“WHY ARE YOU TWO WEARING ONLY YOUR ROBES? WHERE ARE YOUR PAJAMAS?” Ron finally inserted.

Hermione was staring at Ron with a look of disgust; she was appalled by his last question because it was so invasive. But this final question had Harry and Ginny blushing even more, and both of them immediately clutched their robes tightly. Their faces were hot in flames and were about to burst. Both were gaping at the floor with a look of shock, as the images at the church began to flash in front of their eyes. Harry then buried his face with his hand, his entire body shaking from utter embarrassment, as he awkwardly took a few more steps away from Ginny.

“Can someone say something?” Ron snapped at them, after a long silence.

“Harry gave me his glasses. They were broken. He…asked me to ask you to…fix it with a spell when you come back…”Ginny mumbled hesitantly to Hermione, who was looking very suspiciously at the glasses she had in her hand.

Harry looked up, flustered, and nodded diligently.

“What is she doing with your clothes?” Ron asked Harry and stared at Ginny, who was trying to bundle the clothes so desperately as if she wanted to make them disappear.

“She…she said she knows of a spell to…sew a button back. I guess the buttons…became undone when I had an accident with…with…the FIREBOLT. THAT’S IT. THE FIREBOLT!” Harry bellowed out smartly.

“It happened earlier today and I hurt my hand and broke my glasses too,” Harry continued as he glanced at Ginny, who quickly handed his shirt and pants over to him, nodding in agreement.

“And what was wrong with your pants?” Ron pressed Harry.

“Forget about that,” Hermione interrupted annoyingly. “Ginny, why were you completely hysterical before in your room, screaming that Harry was dying?”

“I…I had a nightmare and dreamt that he was hurt and dying. I thought it was real for a moment,” Ginny answered. Harry was looking directly at her, hanging on to her every word.

“Oh, you had a nightmare. But it was like you completely lost your mind back there, yanking my arm like that,” Hermione said. “I thought you were possessed by a demon.”

“So it was a nightmare for you too, Harry?” Ron looked at his own arm and asked suspiciously.

Harry nodded.

“You guys are like little kids, you know, both of you, yelling and screaming over a nightmare,” Hermione said disapprovingly.

“I am going to bed because it is almost dawn. Here are his glasses, good as new,” Hermione blurted in a sarcastic tone. She handed the glasses to Ginny as she rolled her eyes and then fired an angry glare at Harry, “Tell HIM next time to tell me directly when HIS glasses break. Or better yet, maybe HE should learn the sewing spell and the fix glasses spell HIMSELF! We are not HIS maids, you know!”

“Thanks, Hermione,” Harry muttered with a smirk. “Goodnight! Pleasant dreams!”

Hermione turned and sneered at Harry. Then she darted upstairs.

“I am going to bed too,” Ron yawned and followed Hermione up the stairs, leaving Ginny and Harry alone by the staircase under the mistletoe.

Chapter 6 Too Numb To Cry

Harry and Ginny stood there alone by the staircase, exchanging quick glances at each other and feeling very embarrassed and confused. Now that they realized they had to explain themselves to each other, it occurred to them that dealing with Ron and Hermione’s questions earlier weren’t that difficult after all. A ray of sunlight had lit up the room at this point, lighting up their faces more. Both could now clearly see how very red and flustered they both were. The silence was becoming more awkward and choking by the second.

Finally, Harry took a very deep breath and blurted out nervously, “So…Hmm…Rough night? Couldn’t sleep either?”

“……………” Ginny stood there with her head down, motionless.

“You were there, too?” Harry continued.

“……………” She didn’t answer.

Thanks for saving me back there,” Harry mumbled.

“……………”

Harry gave her a quick glance and then continued hesitantly, his voice weakening and his face started to contort, “At the church, weren’t you…and me…and we…”

Ginny quickly raised her hand and covered his mouth. She gazed deeply into his sparkling green eyes as she carefully adjusted his glasses back on his face, and proceeded to stroke his bangs gently to the side, revealing his lightning scar. He gently placed his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

Then images of his parents’ death and what happened to godfather Sirius suddenly crashed into Harry’s mind, as well as the chilling and terrifying screams that were piercing his ears. He broke off their gaze, released his hold on Ginny, and walked away. Ginny stood there bewildered and began to blink very quickly. She was speechless and numb but she could foretell the disappointment that was about to follow.

“I am sorry, Ginny. I…can’t…” Harry stuttered, pulling his face down and turning his back towards her, trying to sound assertive, ”I…just can’t…Sorry.”

Biting his lip, he stormed past Ginny and ran upstairs. She could hear a loud bang from his slamming the bedroom door shut. Too numb to cry, she found herself by the staircase under the mistletoe, standing alone next to a ray of sunlight.

For the next few days, Ginny managed to surprise herself by not shedding a tear over what happened. It was very much business as usual, except for the fact that she kept replaying what happened at the church that night. These visions and sensations were pure in her mind; she could still see how handsome Harry was without his glasses, the feel of the aroma from Harry’s skin against her cheeks, and his warm arm gently caressing her back. She still believed it was a dream but then why did she have his broken glasses and clothes, she thought to herself. She knew she wasn’t mad at Harry, but more like indifferent towards him. Her mind was still confused though. Occasionally she would wonder why he rejected her in such a cruel way that morning even though she was pretty sure he had feelings for her, judging by the way he looked at her. Perhaps he was embarrassed with what happened at the church, she thought to herself. For her, what happened at the church, regardless of whether it was real or not, would now be her most memorable and beautiful experience she had with him. However, although that experience would forever be imprinted in her heart, she had decided that it would also be her last. She knew she had to move on because clearly they were not meant to be. She also wanted to keep her sanity intact too.

“Still hurting from the fall the other day? Why are you still staring at the map?” Ron asked Harry, who was lying in his bed, “The school is practically deserted.”

“Oh, nothing in particular,” Harry replied, staring at the footsteps labeled, “Ginny Weasley,” who was in her room. Hermione was there too.

“Listen, I know you were hurt so you didn’t come down with us for Christmas. But Hagrid invited us all to his place for New Year’s Eve today. You have to come with us this time. Hermione is worried about you, especially after what happened that night with the nightmare and your accident. It is unlike you to fall that bad and injure yourself like that. She thinks it is a curse or jinx or something. Fred and George will be there, Ginny too…Hagrid said even Dumbledore is coming. Harry, Harry, are you listening to me?”

“What? Oh, you go ahead. I’ll catch you later.”

Ron took one last look at him, sighed, and left the room, shaking his head.

At least on the surface, it was clear that Harry had not been able to cope with this situation with as much success as Ginny. He knew he was in no condition and mood to party. It wasn’t the physical injuries that were bothering him; he had far worse injuries before. But he found himself very distracted and confused, constantly thinking about Ginny. He couldn't put into words to convince himself why he rejected her the way he did that morning; it just seemed like the right thing to do at that moment. But then he felt he wasn’t ready to see her at this time either, especially after storming past her and leaving her standing alone by the staircase like that.

The past few days he just kept replaying the images at the church and similar to Ginny, was also debating whether the dream was real or not. Questions just kept popping up, like why she had his glasses and clothes, his injured hand... Pulling out the ragged blue cloth from inside his Firebolt box, he wondered whether she really saved his life that night or not. The cloth was still unwashed and stained with dry blood. Staring at it, he could still remember the pure scent of her red hair as she rested her head on his chest at the church. Shaking his head, he couldn’t get more confused and overwhelmed at this point now. Perhaps a breath of fresh air will clear his mind, he thought to himself. He tucked the cloth in his pocket, grabbed the firebolt, and flew out of the room.

Chapter 7 Firenze's Omen

Harry couldn’t recall the last time he flew for this long. Although he still felt very confused, flying around on the Firebolt really cheered him up. He also wanted to escape from his room so Ron and the others couldn’t badger him about not going to the New Year’s Eve party at Hagrid’s house. What good would it do to show up there, he thought, because he was sure he would ruin the cheerful atmosphere, especially for Ginny.

It was late at night when he landed on a snowy mountain top overseeing the castle. The evening stars were sparkling in the dark skies and dancing across the moon. As he sat down, he could see a bright light flashing far below what should be Hagrid’s house. How all the people and animals could fit in there he would never understand. Seeing the castle made him think of everything that had happened these past few years, everything that he had learned and gained, as well as all the horrific events and truths that were now burdening him and weighing on his shoulders. Frustrated with visions of the death of his parents, his run-ins with Voldemort, what happened to godfather Sirius, Lupin, his feelings for Ginny…

“AAAAAARGH………….” He roared at the top of his lungs, echoes of his screams ricocheting across the dark skies and mountains.

“AAAAAARGH….………”

“Mr. Potter, some of us do need to sleep…Don’t you have a New Year’s party to attend?” said a deep voice coming from behind.

Harry stood up and turned around. He immediately recognized the centaur’s bright blue eyes and white blond mane.

“Firenze. It’s you. It’s good to see you,” Harry said delightedly, “Sorry about my screaming like that. I haven’t seen you in over two years.”

“You still remember my name, Mr. Potter. I see you have grown up to become a very nice young man,” Firenze answered excitedly, his blue eyes sparkling at Harry, who was standing against the star-filled skies, ”Now tell me what is all the frustration that is making you scream like that?”

“It’s…it’s hard to explain. I…this girl…and we…It’s complicated… What is wrong, Firenze?” Harry paused because he noticed a sudden sad look in Firenze’s blue eyes as he sighed and his head began to droop.

“Firenze, Firenze, please,” Harry walked closer to him.

“Mr. Potter, there are things that I cannot say, because the stars can be wrong. It has happened before,” he mumbled solemnly.

“What is it? What do you see? Tell me please.”

“There are things that I cannot say, because the stars can be wrong. It has happened before.”

“You believe something bad is going to happen. I am going to die?”

“Everybody dies eventually, Mr. Potter,” Firenze shook his head as he stood there, paused, and then he continued, “Time is a unique concept. Once you lose it you can’t get it back. Sometimes there is no second chance to tell your love ones how much you love them. No matter how hard you try, you cannot change fate. I shall say no more. I just hope our next encounter will be a much happier moment. Farewell and good luck, Mr. Potter.”

Firenze waved goodbye and started to walk away. Then after taking a few steps towards the forest, he stopped and muttered, “The girl loves you too.”

Firenze then galloped into the mountain forests.

Except for his parents, godfather Sirius, Lupin, and the Weasley parents, he realized that everyone he had ever cared for and loved were at Hagrid’s house right now celebrating. And yet he chose to stay away from them sulking on New Year’s Eve.

“The girl loves you too…” Firenze’s voice echoed in Harry’s head.

Harry pulled out the blue cloth from his pocket and admired it closely. He began to smile and blush as memories of Ginny flooded his mind: her gorgeous red long hair standing by the staircase, her angelic face under the mistletoe, her soft delicate hands when he held her, and the way her beautiful brown eyes touched his heart and soul when they were by the fireplace. A warm and loving feeling gradually emerged inside him and his heart was beating very fast. He had never felt this way before but he was pretty sure that he had fallen in love.

“Firenze is right,” he said to himself as he grabbed his firebolt and put the cloth back inside his pocket, “I’ve got to get back. I have to tell Ginny.”

Harry arrived at Hagrid’s doorstep in no time. For some reason Hagrid’s house appeared much larger than before. It looked like there were newly built extensions.

“Harry, here you are. We missed you,” Hagrid beamed, his cheeks flaming red, “Come in, the headmaster inflated my house.”

“Happy new year, Hagrid, I am sorry I missed the party,“ Harry hugged him. Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George came towards the door. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall came over from another room of the house.

“Happy New Year, everybody. Sorry for being late, “he said apologetically, looking around the house, and asked, “Where is Ginny?”

“She’s back at the castle. Ron and I brought her back because she wasn’t feeling well, “Hermione replied.

“That’s because the entire evening she parked herself there and helped herself to all those drinks,” Ron pointed to what looked like a bar, “Some of those drinks really pack a punch. Just take a look at Hagrid.”

“I’m heading back to the castle,” Harry said excitedly, “I’ve got to talk to her.”

“I’ll come too. Come on, Ron, it’s late, “Hermione said, “Thanks, Hagrid. Happy new year all.”

The three of them quickly headed back to the castle and to the common room. Ron went to his room while Harry rushed Hermione to see Ginny, constantly nudging her back to make her walk faster.

“Okay, Harry. Slow down. Please calm down. I’ll knock on her door to see if she’s asleep,” Hermione said, “She was pretty zonked out when we brought her back.”

“Ginny, Ginny, Ginny dear… I think she’s asleep already. Can it wait until tomorrow, Harry?”

He sighed and nodded reluctantly and headed towards his room. Hermione followed him.

“Harry, are you okay? Listen, I want to talk to you…”

“I’m fine,” he interrupted assertively, a bright smile on his face, ”I’m all better now. It’s because now I finally know what to do.”

“No, but listen…It is like this…I don’t know if I should tell you this…” Hermione hesitated.

“Goodnight, Hermione. I shall see you, fair lady, next year!” Harry winked at her and hopped towards his room.

“You come back here, young man!” Hermione shrieked. But Harry was already gone, leaving her standing there to ponder the moment, feeling perplexed and puzzled by his sudden change in behavior.

Chapter 8 As They Criss-cross

The past few days between Christmas and New Year’s had been very emotionally draining for Harry, but now he felt like a huge boulder had been lifted off his shoulders. It was because he had decided that tomorrow first thing in the morning on New Year’s Day he was going to tell Ginny how he truly felt about her. In fact, he was so excited that he couldn’t fall asleep, tossing and turning, constantly admiring the blue cloth in the dark and thinking about the things Ginny and he would do together tomorrow and in the future. He really wanted to take her for a ride on his firebolt, or a picnic in the snow on the mountain top where he saw Firenze earlier. Dying to see her, he reached for his glasses and tiptoed to get his wand and map.

Focusing on the girl’s dormitories, he was looking for Ginny’s name, but to his surprise it wasn’t there for some reason. He scanned the entire map but still couldn’t find it. Desperately, he turned on the light.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Ron yawned. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“She’s not here. She’s gone. Ginny’s gone,” Harry said hesitantly, turning the map upside down and then inside out.

“What are you talking about? Hermione and I brought her to her room and she passed out. How can she not be there? The map is never wrong,” Ron reached for the map and looked at it.

“Come on! We have to see if she is okay!”

Harry and Ron put on their robes and dashed to the girl’s dormitories.

“Harry, you stay at her door. I’ll go wake Hermione.”

“Ginny, Ginny. It’s Harry. Open up please. Ginny,” Harry knocked on the door. There was no answer and the door was locked.

“What sort of insanity is this? How can she not be in her room?” Hermione was rubbing her eyes and yelling at Ron as they approached Ginny’s door. “Harry, I know you want to talk to her but can’t you wait until tomorrow?”

“I am telling you she is not on the map. The map is never wrong,” Harry pointed, handing the map to Hermione. “Something is wrong.”

“You guys stay here. I’ll go in and check up on her,” Hermione waved her wand and Ginny’s door opened.

Harry stood there with Ron at her doorstep and it felt like eternity. The conversation Harry had with Firenze earlier in the night began to creep into his head.

Hermione came out and said annoyingly, “She is inside, fast asleep, just as I expected.”

“I don’t believe you! I’m going in!” Harry disputed and went to Ginny’s bed.

Harry noticed the dream catcher that he gave her for Christmas was hung right above the bed. Ginny was asleep just like what Hermione said. But in his mind, something wasn’t right because of the map. He approached her and gently shook her shoulders.

“Ginny, Ginny. Wake up. I have to talk to you,” he mumbled softly, afraid of startling her.

There was no response. Ginny laid there motionless inside her blankets.

“Ginny, Ginny!” he raised his voice and shook her shoulders harder and harder, fear beginning to flood his mind. “Ginny, it’s me, Harry. Ginny, wake up. Please talk to me…Ron, Hermione, come in quick! Something is wrong with Ginny! She’s not waking up!”

They rushed inside to see for themselves.

“She’s breathing,” Hermione said, placing her fingers in front of Ginny's nostrils.

“Come on! We have to get her to the hospital wing now!” Harry yelled desperately. “Ron, go get Dumbledore. Tell him what happened! I’ll explain later! Hermione and I will bring Ginny to Madam Pomfrey! Go!”

“Ron, Dumbledore is in his room!” Hermione shouted as she handed him the map.

Ron darted away while Harry held Ginny tightly inside his arms as he carried her to the hospital wing. Sensing something terrible had happened, Hermione kept asking him if he knew something that he wasn’t telling. But he was too overwhelmed and preoccupied to answer her. The entire time he was thinking about what Firenze had said while keeping his worried eyes on Ginny, but she remained motionless and her eyes were closed the entire time.

Harry and Hermione were waiting outside the hospital wing anxiously while Madam Pomfrey was busy tending to Ginny. It was deadly quiet; all they could hear were Pomfrey’s busy footsteps pacing around.

“Hermione, remember Firenze? The centaur that saved my life the first year that I was here?” Harry stuttered anxiously. “I saw him earlier and I think he was trying to tell me that something terrible was going to happen.”

“What did he say?”

“I didn’t understand it at first. Something about time being unique…That you have to tell your loved ones how much you love them before it is too late…”

A sudden sense of fear erupted inside his mind, “Oh, no. Ginny! What is taking so long? This is insane! I’m going in!” Harry yelled in frustration and ran inside. Hermione followed him.

“Potter, you can’t be in here, get back outside,” Madam Pomfrey said annoyingly, blocking his way.

“No, I have to see her!” he yelled as he rushed towards Ginny’s bedside and pushed Madam Pomfrey aside.

The sight of Ginny’s colorless face, lying motionless in the hospital bed felt like a stab to the heart for Harry. Her red hair was the only source of color, but even that appeared to be fading away.

He kneeled down and reached for Ginny’s hand, which felt cold and dry like sandpaper, “What’s wrong with her? TELL ME!” he turned to Madam Pomfrey.

Her face contorted as if she didn’t know what to say.

“Miss Granger, Harry,” Dumbledore called out as he and Ron approached them. Professor McGonagall was with him. Dumbledore placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder.

“Professor, you’ve got to help Ginny. Something’s wrong with her,” Harry pleaded.

“Professor Dumbledore, they can’t all be here…” Madam Pomfrey complained.

“It’s all right. Let me take a look at Ginny,” he replied calmly, gesturing Ron and Hermione to come closer. ”Harry, you keep holding her hand.”

“Professor, I can’t figure it out. The only thing I noticed is that her hands, skin, and lips appear very dry,” Madam Pomfrey said.

Dumbledore closed his eyes, mumbled a few words, and placed his palm on Ginny’s forehead. A white glow appeared on his palm as well as in Harry’s hands that were holding her hand. After a brief moment the glow disappeared as Dumbledore withdrew his hand. When he reopened his eyes, Harry could see that they appeared very somber and sad.

“Professor?” Hermione muttered.

Breathing very hard as he took off his spectacles, Dumbledore turned to McGonagall, “Minerva, please contact her parents and tell them to come over immediately.”

“Professor Dumbledore, what is wrong with Ginny?” Ron asked faintly.

Placing his hands on Ron and Hermione’s shoulders gently, “Ginny’s soul is gone,” Dumbledore breathed hard and replied solemnly. “She’s gone.”

Chapter 9 Heart Broken

Everyone was speechless with their mouths open in complete shock in the hospital room. Ron and Hermione backed away and crashed into an empty bed. Madam Pomfrey’s face went blank and she wandered aimlessly towards the window. It was dark outside since it was still before dawn on New Year’s Day. All they could do was to just stare at Dumbledore, who was looking down as he made his way to another bed to sit down.

“Headmaster, I sent an emergency owl to the Weasleys! They should receive it any second now!” McGonagall came rushing back to the hospital wing. ”How is Ginny Weasley?”

“Minerva, I thought I would not see this curse being cast again. But there is no limit when it comes to evil…”

“Professor, please tell us,” Hermione pleaded.

“In the realm of Dark Magic, there is a hidden branch that is devoted to dreams and the dream state. Spells related to dreams are the trickiest forms of Dark Magic because the world of dreams is in a continuous state of flux. When a person is sleeping and dreaming, he or she is almost always unable to differentiate if it is a dream or reality. This confusion of the mind makes the victim vulnerable. And the dream curse attempts to trap and seal the soul of the victim inside the dream world. They are known to be performed only by a rare handful of magicians because of their complexity. When the curse is done successfully, it drains the conjuror a lot of energy, somewhat equivalent to draining a part of the conjuror’s own soul. I had believed that no one really performs such curses anymore...”

Dumbledore paused and then continued, “The conjuror of such a curse must somehow had previously established some kind of deep magical contact, like an imprint, with the victim beforehand in order for it to work.”

There was a deafening silence as everyone was horrified by what they had just heard.

“How can someone perform a curse to hurt someone inside Hogwarts?” Madam Pomfrey asked. “The castle is protected. And what has this little girl done in her life that is so bad that a powerful magician must do something so awful to her?”

“Voldemort,” Hermione mumbled, choking back tears as she rested her head on Ron’s shoulders. “He used to study at Hogwarts. He must have figured out a way to breach the defenses.”

“Headmaster, you believe he is strong enough to have done this?” McGonagall asked, wiping away tears.

“How can this little girl have come in contact with him previously?“ Madam Pomfrey questioned. “I would think only Harry…”

“He did try to kill Ginny and drained her of her life in the Chamber but he failed!” Ron interrupted angrily.

“But why didn’t he take Harry instead?“ Hermione questioned and got up defiantly. “He tried to kill him many times before. He would have an even stronger imprint with Harry. And we all know that all he wants is Harry dead…”

“He did try to take me,“ Harry finally said something as he emerged from the background and got up from his knees. Everyone turned to look at him as if they almost forgot that he was there. “He tried to take me but Ginny saved me.”

“Harry, I didn’t mean it that way…” Hermione said apologetically.

“I know…I know…” Harry reassured her that he understood as he slowly pulled out the blue cloth from his pocket and stared at it.

“I don’t understand, Harry,” Madam Pomfrey said. “How can a little girl save you from such an evil curse conjured by one of the most evil wizards?”

Harry didn’t reply. Instead, he solemnly glanced at Dumbledore, who was studying him attentively, as if he was attempting to read his mind.

Trying to hold his composure and keeping his eyes on Ginny the whole time, holding her hand, Harry proceeded to tell them what happened with the nightmares that he had been having lately. But when he was describing the last dream of which Ginny was also in the nightmare and she saved his life, his voice was shaking considerably and he finally broke down.

“WHY DIDN’T HE TAKE ME INSTEAD?” Harry screamed angrily, “WHY GINNY…?”

“At least you’re safe…” Madam Pomfrey inserted hesitantly.

“DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND? I’D RATHER THAT HE TAKE ME INSTEAD!” Harry snapped as he collapsed to his knees, kneeling by Ginny’s bedside. His face was buried in her hospital bed now.

“It’s all my fault…Ginny doesn’t deserve this…” Harry’s voice was muffled.

Seeing Harry in so much pain, everybody hovered around him, trying to comfort him and calm him down, but without success. Dumbledore reached over and stroked Harry’s hair gently.

“It’s not your fault,” Ron mumbled.

It was dawn already. The sun was beginning to peak through the horizon. It was officially the start of New Year’s Day. However, the hospital room was as somber as ever.

Suddenly, Harry got up, took off his glasses, rubbed his reddish eyes, and clutched Dumbledore’s arms tightly.

“Professor, what can I do to save her? What about Fawkes’ tears? Don’t they have healing powers?” Harry pleaded, looking at Dumbledore, hoping desperately for a miracle. ”Ginny saved me from my nightmare. Can’t I do the same for her? Send me to this dream state so I can get her out! I’ll do anything…anything! Please, Professor…”

“Harry, please calm down! Control yourself!“ McGonagall interrupted, trying to loosen the grip he had on Dumbledore. “You are talking about the dream state. Didn’t you hear what the Headmaster said? It has many variables. It’s not Hogsmeade, where you think you can come and go as you please.”

“It’s all right, Minverva,” Dumbledore reassured her.

Dumbledore looked deeply into Harry’s reddish eyes. Everyone stood quiet as if time stood still, waiting anxiously for him to respond. After a long silence, he closed his eyes, looked down, and solemnly shook his head.

Heartbroken, Harry’s hands slipped off Dumbledore’s arms. The entire room was sadly silent except for a crisp shattering sound as Harry’s glasses fell out of his hand and crashed onto the floor.

Chapter 10 Lost In Reflection

Because of what happened, all New Year celebrations had been cancelled. The few people that were at the castle were very distraught by all of this. Ron and Hermione sat motionless in the hospital wing, watching the sunrise as it slowly lit up the room on New Year’s Day, while Harry found a little comfort holding the doves with him as he stayed with Ginny by her bedside.

The three of them were even more distraught when they watched Mr. and Mrs. Weasley at the hospital wing. It was very difficult for Harry, seeing how devastated they were as they were sobbing uncontrollably, watching hopelessly at their only baby daughter lying motionless in bed in front of their eyes, and knowing that she would never wake up again.

“Harry, the Headmaster told me everything that has happened,“ Mrs. Weasley sobbed, pulling Harry aside gently. “He told me you were very hard on yourself. Please don’t be. It’s not your fault.”

“Ginny would want you to stay strong,” Mr. Weasley pleaded, his hands on Harry’s shoulders. “Please don’t blame yourself.”

Fred and George hugged their father and accompanied him out of the hospital wing. Mrs. Weasley gently touched Harry’s cheek, ”Those are beautiful doves you have there.”

“Ginny gave them to me for Christmas,” Harry whimpered weakly, fighting back tears.

Mrs. Weasley looked deeply into his reddish eyes and hugged him tightly, “Arthur is right. Ginny would want you to stay strong.”

Ron accompanied Mrs. Weasley out, leaving Harry alone with Hermione, watching over Ginny.

“Harry, I want to give you these,“ Hermione said as she handed him his glasses that she fixed. She also handed him a note that said:

"To Harry, I hope you will find peace. Love Ginny."

“I found it when I was with Ginny in her room before we went to Hagrid’s party,” Hermione said hesitantly. “So many things have happened that I didn’t have a chance to talk to you. I don’t know if I should be telling you this. When she saw that I found the note, she broke down in tears. That day she told me everything about you, how much she loves you. That was why she was so sad at Hagrid’s party…

“She showed me her diary, and it was all about you,” she continued. “She felt she had no one to talk to about this, and she couldn’t keep her feelings for you inside any longer, so she had no choice but to write them all in a diary, despite the horrific experience she had with diaries before…

“She goes to Quidditch matches just to see you play. It pains her very much when she sees you from afar getting hurt when you play. You may not love her the way she loves you, but you really hurt her when you rejected her like that on Christmas--”

“You are wrong!” Harry yelled at Hermione. “I DO love her! I love her very much! And I know she loves me! But that’s why I can’t be with her! Don’t you understand? Everyone that has ever loved me has suffered a terrible fate and paid the ultimate price. Look at my parents, Godfather Sirius… And now Ginny…”

“Why are you blaming everything on yourself? What about me and Ron?” Hermione yelled back. “We love you too! And we are okay!”

“You and Ron nearly died a couple of times before! Is that okay to you?” Harry blasted.

Harry pulled out the blue cloth from his pocket and continued, “Do you know what this is? It is a ragged blue cloth filled with my bloodstains! I keep it with my Firebolt inside my Firebolt box and do you know why? Ginny used it to wrap my injured hand and made me feel all better. This dirty old cloth and the doves are precious to me! They are all I have of her to hold on to because I can’t be with her…

“You have no idea how much I love her, Hermione! I’ll die for her; that’s how much I love her! Voldemort can kill me ten times over,” Harry continued, his voice getting louder and louder. “But I will not have another person die because of me, especially Ginny...

“But then I realized I was wrong to reject her! I should have known better! I wanted to tell her how I feel, but it’s too late!” Harry continued yelling, choking back tears, as his eyes shifted to the doves he was holding. “Taking her away from me is much worse than losing my own life! She is the only one that understands me, my pain, my burdens…And she doesn’t judge me…

“I WAS LOST UNTIL SHE CAME, AND NOW I LOST HER! I COULD JUST DIE…”

“Harry, I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t realize you…” Hermione mumbled, tears rolling down her eyes. She slowly walked towards him.

“Please, just LEAVE ME ALONE!” Harry roared at Hermione and pointed at the door.

Harry abruptly turned away from Hermione and kneeled over at Ginny’s bedside. He held her dry cold hand and gently stroked her hair. It was late morning already and it appeared to be a beautiful day outside. The sun shone through the window and lit up Ginny’s face. The pure images of that night with her at the church started playing in his mind again, triggered by the sensations from his caressing her hand and hair.

"I will always remember that night with you forever," he thought deeply to himself, gazing at her with his tear-filled eyes.

"You and I… It was paradise…"

Then Harry remembered how he had everything perfectly planned for New Year’s Day today to do with Ginny to make her the happiest girl in the world. A sad faint smile started to appear on his face as he held the doves against his chest. Images of a very happy Ginny standing with him under the mistletoe began to appear in his mind.

"By this time now I would have told you how I feel about you, that you are my girl forever..."

Harry breathed deeply as his thoughts continued:

"I don’t expect anything from you. I respect that. You may not even want me anymore after the way I treated you on Christmas. But I won’t let that stop me from loving you…

"I made a mistake that day and I’m truly sorry. To make it up to you I can take you for a ride on my Firebolt. I’ll promise I’ll take you to wherever you want to go, anywhere, anytime. I’ll make sure you’ll hold on to me tight. Maybe I’ll shake the broom just a bit on purpose and blame it on the wind, so you’ll always hold me tight…"

Harry chuckled as his thoughts continued to play in his mind. He placed his hand on his abdomen, as if he could feel Ginny’s arms around his waist now.

"Then at night... I’ll take you to the mountain top overseeing the castle for a picnic in the snow. I’ll pull Hermione away from Ron so she will teach me all the spells to create the perfect food, wine, and candles that dance in the dark. I’ll carve a heart in the snow and surround it with candles. Then I’ll point you the stars and make up funny star names along the way to make you giggle. And when you point at them I’ll reach for your hand and I won’t let go…"

Harry reached for Ginny’s hand again and looked up at the ceiling with his tear-filled eyes, as if he could see the sparkling stars. His vivid thoughts continued as he pushed the doves deeper against his chest:

"It’ll get cold at night. So I’ll take off my jacket and scarf and wrap you in them to make sure you’re always warm by my side. Then I’ll find the perfect opportunity in the dark…to surprise you by leaning over to your ear…and say…"

“I love you, Ginny Weasley,” Harry whispered softly into her ears as tears spilled down his cheeks and his shoulders heaved with sobs.

Kneeling alone on the hard floor by himself in the hospital room next to Ginny, Harry felt very cold and hopeless. The only sounds he could hear now were his own weeping cries in a world of silence.

“I hope this will bring you peace,” Harry sobbed as he gently placed the doves on her chest and rested her hand on them. He was shivering from the sense of loneliness around him; his heart was aching painfully and his spirit was shattered beyond repair. He was weeping uncontrollably as he buried his face with his hands.

“Of course I’ll help you with all the food and candle spells,” Hermione muttered tearfully from behind.

Harry lifted his head, turned around, and realized Hermione had not left and was standing behind him all along. Ron, McGonagall, Hagrid, and Dumbledore were also standing next to her. Everyone looked very somber, except Dumbledore, who appeared to be in deep thought and had a sparkle in his eyes.

Hermione walked towards Harry and wiped away his tears.

“I am sure Ginny would love a ride on the Firebolt with you,“ Ron said, his eyes filled with tears. “We are your best friends. Of course we’ll help you.”

Harry had now realized he had been speaking his thoughts and thinking out loud. He smiled weakly as Ron walked over and hugged him. All three were sobbing.

“I wish Ginny could hear what you’ve just said,“ Hagrid muttered, placing his heavy hand on Harry’s shoulder. “It’s beautiful.”

“I think she did. Look!“ Dumbledore smiled with an unusual glimmer in his eyes.

“You are right,” McGonagall smiled while wiping away tears to get a clearer view of Ginny. “Harry, look!”

Harry turned around to look at Ginny. The ray of sunlight was still shining on her face. There was indeed a faint smile as a sparkling teardrop was rolling down her cheek.

Chapter 11 Mirage

Seeing the smile on Ginny’s face somehow made everyone feel more at peace. Even Harry felt slightly better after having cried like that.

“I’m sorry, Hermione,” Harry apologized. “I’m sorry for screaming at you like that. Thanks for everything. You are a good friend.”

“It’s okay. Ron and I will always be here for you,” Hermione patted Harry’s back and kissed him on the cheek.

“I know it is already afternoon on New Year’s Day but everyone hasn’t slept all night,” Dumbledore said, trying to cheer everyone up. “Go get some sleep!”

Ron and Hermione hugged Harry again, then walked out with Hagrid and McGonagall.

Dumbledore turned to Harry, “Go get some sleep. You must be exhausted.”

“I’m not tired, Professor. I want to stay with Ginny. Can I stay with her, just a little longer?” he mumbled weakly.

“I think you may have noticed by now that I never say no to you, Harry,” Dumbledore smiled as he waved his hands and all the curtains and blinds in the room closed slowly and the sunshine gradually disappeared. The lights in the room flickered and went off. The room became very dark, calm and peaceful, except for the light shining through the doorway.

“I will tell Madam Pomfrey and let her know you are here, so she…I will make sure she won’t disturb you,” Dumbledore said as he made his way to the door.

“Thanks, Professor,” Harry said. He wasn’t sure why Dumbledore turned off all the lights and closed the curtains, but he didn’t seem to mind, because the room now felt very calm and peaceful.

“I love you, Professor,” Harry called out.

Dumbledore froze briefly as a broad proud smile appeared widely on his face when he heard what Harry had just said. He then took another look around the room as he reached the door. Standing there, he whispered softly to himself, “I love you too, Harry Potter. Be brave. Good luck and pleasant dreams, my dear boy.”

He gently closed the door.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“…………”

“…………”

Harry was awakened by the bright sunlight that was shining directly on his face. Shielding his eyes with his hand, he quickly sat up and looked around desperately, trying to figure out where he was. He found himself sitting on very hot sand in the middle of nowhere. The sun was burning his face and the winds were swirling with sand. He got up and peered around, rubbing his eyes to get a clearer view. It appeared to be a desert as he noticed a cactus from afar. Feeling thirsty and not knowing where to go, he made his way towards the cactus.

As he walked closer to the cactus, he saw what appeared to be a body lying next to it. He immediately ran over and saw that it was a girl with long red hair, lying lifelessly with her face down.

“Ginny!” Harry cried as he turned her over; sweat was rolling down his forehead. “Ginny, wake up! It’s Harry! Say something!”

Harry gently brushed the sand off her face. Desperate to save her, he darted to the cactus to try to rip off a piece of its flesh. With all his strength and forgetting that there were spines, he ripped a piece of it off. His mind was so busy that he couldn’t even feel the pain from the cactus spines that punctured every part of his hands. With his hands bleeding profusely, he squeezed Ginny’s cheeks to force her mouth open. Then he squeezed the cactus flesh and the water droplets slowly fell into her mouth. Harry could see her lips were very pale and dry and her eyes were closed. The only color was her red hair and the bloodstains on her cheeks from Harry’s bloodied hands.

“I have to get you out of here,” Harry said to her as the sun was blasting its heat. “I won’t let you die!”

With sweat now flowing all over his face, Harry lifted her up and carried her in his arms. He looked desperately around but he didn’t know where to go. The sand in the wind was making everything blurry. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he noticed what looked like a lake not too far away.

“That will cool you down,” he said excitedly.

Harry ran as fast as he could, holding Ginny in his arms as tightly as possible, while keeping his eyes on the lake as it inched closer and closer. His bloodied hands were staining her clothes now. But as he approached the lake, it slowly disappeared.

Panting to catch his breath, he backed away in disbelief. “How can I be so foolish?” he yelled out.

Feeling exhausted and extremely dizzy, Harry swayed sideways aimlessly and lost his direction as he stared blankly at the ground. Suddenly, he saw a couple of dark shadows gliding across the sand. He immediately looked up at the sky, and he could see what appeared to be two birds circling above him. But he couldn’t see much more because the hot bright sunlight was almost blinding. As he tried to look at the sky again, one of his feet suddenly collapsed deep into the sand. He struggled to pull his leg out but the pit was swallowing him inch by inch. He realized he couldn’t pull himself out with Ginny in his arms. Desperate to save her, he pushed her away from the pit with all his might and wanted to roll her as far away from him as he could. But in the midst of the struggle, one of her hands suddenly gripped his hand hard as he continued to drown deeper into the sand. Harry knew he would ultimately drag Ginny into the pit and die with him, so he tried to break free, but he couldn’t. Because of the struggle, he felt even deeper into the pit, which by now had swallowed his neck. His arms were still tenuously above the pit so he was trying to grab on to whatever he could with his other hand. But all he could grab were sand and more sand. By now the pit had reached his eyes and he could no longer see and breathe anymore.

“Ginny would want you to stay strong…” a voice echoed in his head.

Suddenly he felt something pulling him by his wrists. He didn’t know what they were but he could feel he was slowly being pulled up. Blinded by the sand, he couldn’t see what happened but somehow he felt very light and airy as he felt unconscious…
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

“GINNY……” Harry screamed as he violently bounced up from the floor and looked around urgently, breathing very hard. Sweat was all over his face and body. He breathed a sign of relief as he found himself in the familiar dark hospital room, standing beside Ginny’s bedside. He realized he had fallen asleep and he had another nightmare. Looking at himself, he had sand all over his clothes and pockets. His hands were full of fresh scars and blood.

“Water…” Harry heard a faint weak voice. He looked down and saw Ginny’s hand gripping the doves, and they appeared to be fluttering their wings.

Feeling all confused and dazed in the dark, he kneeled down to look at her closely.

“Ginny?” he said softly.

Harry noticed her lips were moving and she whispered again, “Water…”

Seeing the bloodstains on her cheeks, the details of the nightmare began to creep back into his head as he stared at his bloodied palms again. Screaming feverishly, he grabbed the kettle by her bedside, lifted Ginny’s head, and poured the water into her mouth.

“Here, Ginny. Drink! It’s me, Harry! Don’t be afraid; everything is going to be okay! You are safe now! Don’t close your eyes! Keep looking at me!” Harry pleaded.

“SOMEONE PLEASE HELP US! PLEASE HELP US! I NEED HELP NOW! GINNY’S AWAKE!” Harry screamed towards the door.

Madam Pomfrey stormed in, followed by Professor McGonagall, who turned on the lights. Both were shocked at what they saw as they ran over to Harry.

“Oh my goodness!” McGonagall yelled, looking at Ginny’s blinking brown eyes as she was devouring the water from Harry’s kettle. “Madam Pomfrey! Go get Dumbledore now!”

Madam Pomfrey rushed out immediately, yelling hysterically across the halls that Ginny is awake, as she went to get Dumbledore. McGonagall kneeled beside Ginny’s bedside and gently brushed off the bloodstains off her face.

“What happened? How did Ginny…? How did she? Why does she have bloodstains on her cheeks? What happened to your hands, Harry?” McGonagall was completely dumbfounded and frantic, looking at Ginny and Harry.

Ginny choked and coughed because she was drinking too rapidly. Harry handed the kettle to McGonagall and then tenderly wiped the water off Ginny’s wet cheeks.

“Harry…” Ginny whimpered between coughs, her voice weak and hoarse, her shaking hand reaching for him.

“Harry…”

“I’m here,” he muttered softly as he grabbed her delicate hand. Tears were flooding his eyes.

She turned her head slowly towards him. A tear was rolling down her cheek.

“Hold me,” she pleaded weakly.

Fighting back tears, Harry climbed onto her bed and gently embraced her in his arms. In the meantime, he kept pinching himself, to make sure that this wasn’t yet another dream.

Chapter 12 Second Chance

The hospital was very quiet and calm. Ginny’s head was resting comfortably next to Harry’s chest while he had his arms around her. McGonagall stayed to watch over them in case there were any more curses. She couldn’t help smiling proudly as she was watching them, with Harry holding Ginny peacefully in his arms, and the doves buried between them. To her, it was like a perfect picture.

Harry was still trying to fight back his tears, and thinking that Ginny must be too tired to talk, he remained very quiet. Nevertheless, he was smiling because he could feel Ginny’s warmth reminiscent of that night at the church. Her red hair was also tickling his chin and neck. Ginny, too, was smiling brightly because she was resting peacefully in Harry’s arms. In her mind, it was like a heavenly dream that had finally come true.

“Congratulations, Harry, Ginny!” Dumbledore hollered as he entered the hospital room and went over to Ginny’s bedside. Harry got up from the bed and greeted him warmly.

“How are you feeling, young lady?”

“I think I’m okay, a bit confused, but okay,” Ginny replied softly. “Professor, I’m a little hungry though.”

“Well, why didn’t you say something earlier, young lady? I could have…” McGonagall paused because she noticed Ginny was blushing. McGonagall then glanced at Harry, who was also blushing. A deep grin appeared on her face as she sighed and rolled her eyes.

McGonagall waved her hand. Bowls of steaming chicken soup and warm porridge appeared on the table next to her. Harry took the bowls over to Ginny, wanting to feed her, but she reached for the bowl and spoon, took them out of his hands, and proceeded to eat on her own. Harry was thrilled to see that Ginny had regained her strength.

“You will have to eat only that for now,“ McGonagall said. “You had a very tough long night.”

“Professor Dumbledore, I think I was in Ginny’s dream earlier. But I don’t know what happened. I tried to save her but I was falling into a sandpit. I think Ginny grabbed my hand and then I woke up,” Harry asked, looking at his injured hands.

“I had spent some time deciphering the nightmare you described earlier where you said Ginny saved your life. I think I have it figured out,” Dumbledore replied. “It is indeed amazing how some things keep on working and never fail, and how some things appear complicated but they boil down to the same simple answer that even I was fooled.”

“I don’t understand, Professor.”

“Do you recall what I said about how you survived Voldemort’s death curse when you were just a baby?” Dumbledore sat down on the next bed.

“You said it was my mother’s love that protected me.”

“Yes, but it wasn’t just any kind of love. That won’t be enough to fend off curses. It was her DEEP unconditional love for you that saved you. It was the kind of love at a level that she was willing to die for you. Now do you remember you said Ginny saved you from your nightmare? But do you know how?”

“It was her deep love for you, Harry,” Hermione’s voice echoed across the room. Harry looked towards the door and saw a much happier Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid coming in with Madam Pomfrey. Ron and Hermione sat on Ginny’s bedside while Madam Pomfrey went to Harry to wrap his injured hands.

“That’s right, Miss Granger,” Dumbledore beamed. “In your nightmare, Ginny overcame her fear of the unknown and was willing to do anything to bring you back because she loves you so much. And when Ginny had her nightmare and lost her soul, it was your deep love for her that got her back. You love her so much that you are willing to die for her to save her. Do you understand, Harry?”

“But you had told me that I couldn’t go to the dream state to save her.”

“It never occurred to me that you are so deeply in love with her. At the time, I thought you wanted to save her because of your feelings of guilt and duty. It wasn’t until I heard what you said to her by her bedside that I realized your love for her is unmatched. It was at that moment that I realized you might be able to save her. That’s why I wanted you to go to sleep before it was too late.”

“I still don’t understand how I saved her, “Harry mumbled. “I was trapped in the pit and I couldn’t do anything to help her.”

“Remember what Professor Dumbledore said about the dream world being in a constant state of flux?” Hermione asked Harry. “I believe even Voldemort couldn’t keep everything under control.”

“That’s very possible, Miss Granger. But do you remember what I said about the conjuror of the curse having some kind of imprint with the victim in order for it to work?”

There was a pause in the room. Everyone waited anxiously for Dumbledore to continue.

“Harry, you and Ginny may share a magical bond with Voldemort, but when you saved Ginny back in the Chamber, you also created a deep magical bond with her. This may be the reason why only she was able to go to your dream state when you had your nightmare. Because she loves you so much, not only could she enter your dream state, she was able to counter the curse. And you just did the same for her.”

“We did all that with love?” Harry asked.

“Love exerts its power in mysterious ways,” Dumbledore whispered as he got up, retrieved the doves from Ginny’s bed and admired them closely. “They are magnificent, aren’t they?”

“You mean, they were able to save each other because they love each other?” Ron asked blankly.

“It does sound rather simple, doesn’t it?” Dumbledore replied calmly. “You see, wizards and witches that turn to the dark side are compelled and fascinated by how seemingly powerful Dark Magic is, its complexity and intricacy. The conjurors are often feared upon, revered, and their names become much more famous than all those good wizards and witches. Indeed, it is hard to deny the attractiveness of Dark Magic. You can seemingly gain a lot of notoriety and fame for yourself with very little effort and time spent when it comes to Dark Magic.”

Dumbledore waved his hand and a dark cloud started to hover on his palm, growing bigger and bigger, “What these evil wizards and witches fail to realize is that most Dark Magic are no more powerful than a house of cards, which can be destroyed with the most simplest of good things that we take for granted…”

He snapped his fingers with the other hand and all the curtains in the room suddenly sprung open. Everyone watched the sunlight lit up the entire room and the dark cloud on his palm perished, “Simple things like sunlight, friendship, love…”

“I know Harry understands this because he is not afraid to say Voldemort’s name,” Dumbledore looked at Harry proudly with his sparkling eyes. “In Harry’s eyes, Voldemort is no more than just a murderous coward. Other people can’t say his name because they fear him so much, but there is no reason for that. He doesn’t deserve our fear and respect. He never has and he never will.”

“Do you think he will try the curse on them again?” Hagrid asked, watching Harry and Ginny anxiously.

“I don’t think he’s going to try anything anytime soon,” Dumbledore laughed. “And after failing so many times, he should know better than to try the same curse again, if he has enough energy left, that is.”

“Harry… “ Ginny called out from her bed.

“I am here,” Harry said softly, reaching for her hand.

Then suddenly there was a loud bang, followed by roaring screams of people coming from the doorway.

“GINNY!” Mrs. Weasley shrieked, as she stormed into the hospital room with Mr. Weasley, Fred, and George. “You are okay! My angel is okay!”

The four of them swarmed Ginny and embraced her together, with Mrs. Weasley screaming and laughing hysterically. The energy level in the room was pumped to the maximum, because everyone was so happy to see Ginny awake. To make way for them, Harry stepped away from Ginny’s bedside and then gradually backed away. From afar, he was admiring the Weasley family, their warmth, closeness, and love for each other. Harry noticed Ron and Hermione hugging and kissing in the confusion. Even Hagrid and Dumbledore joined in the celebrations and were hugging each other, as well as McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey. Before he knew it, Harry realized he had now become a spectator, standing by himself, alone at the door.

A/N: The next chapter will be the last. I hope you guys will stick around to read it.

Chapter 13 Déjà Vu? (Conclusion)

The Christmas decorations in the Gryffindor common room still had not been taken down. It was very quiet as Harry found himself sitting by the fireplace alone, thinking about what happened this past week. As he looked across the room, his eyes caught the mistletoe hung just above the staircase, which made him think of Ginny. He slowly opened the map and gazed at Ginny’s name that was located at the hospital room. Ron and Hermione were also there. He recalled kissing her on her forehead that night when they were decorating the room. And on Christmas as they were about to kiss, he remembered what a jerk he was to run away and leave her standing alone. He pulled out the bloodstained blue cloth and was in deep thought.

“Harry, I thought I would find you here,” Dumbledore called out as he entered the room. “We were all wondering where you were.”

Harry was completely startled by Dumbledore’s voice and he abruptly closed his map.

“I am sorry, Professor,” Harry said sheepishly, quickly shoving the map and the blue cloth inside his pocket. Because his hands had been injured earlier, they were difficult to maneuver. “I just need a minute…to be by myself, to think about things…”

“Perhaps I should stay with you and keep you company. Ask me anything you want,” Dumbledore said, trying to hide his smile as he saw Harry still struggling to shove the map inside his pocket. He slowly walked to the fireplace to pretend he didn’t notice the map.

“It’s…it’s complicated. I am just very confused with myself,” Harry muttered shyly and his face started to blush. “So many things have happened…I can’t make sense of it all…”

“And how can you not? You have had a very complicated life so far. To be so young and yet be burdened with so much.”

Dumbledore slowly looked around the common room, admiring the Christmas decorations. Then his eyes suddenly focused deeply at the entrance of the common room. His gaze shifted gradually towards the staircase, as if he was following something.

After a long pause as he was still staring at the staircase, Dumbledore asked, “It’s Ginny. Isn’t it?”

“I blame myself for what happened to her. If it weren’t for me, this wouldn’t have happened to her.”

“You can’t blame yourself for everything that has happened,” Dumbledore replied, slowly turning his eyes back to Harry again.

Harry got up from his chair, walked over to the Christmas tree and said solemnly, “If I hadn’t existed, she would have had a normal student life at Hogwarts like everyone else. She deserves a normal life. Instead, she was abducted by Voldemort and almost died in her first year. And now this! I almost lost her! I love her so much and I don’t want to see her get hurt. I am bad for her, Professor.”

There was another long silent pause as Harry fiddled with the Christmas ornaments.

“Do you blame me for what has happened to you? Your parents’ death…Peter Pettigrew… Sirius…” Dumbledore asked softly as he walked closer to Harry, who was standing by the tree. “If it had not been for me telling Pettigrew about the whereabouts of your parents…”

Harry was stunned by Dumbledore’s question. He turned to him and looked at him with a blank face.

“No. Of course not, Professor,” Harry stuttered shyly. “Professor, you mean everything to me. You are my source of strength and courage through all this. You brought me to Hogwarts and did everything for me. You stood up for me. You gave me everything that I have now. Everything that I have gained and learned, it’s because of you.”

“That’s exactly what Ginny would say to you,” Dumbledore held Harry proudly.

“I don’t understand, Professor,” Harry muttered as he looked up at Dumbledore with his sparkling green eyes.

“Instead of focusing on the bad things in life, why not spend your time focusing on the good things in life? You see, when you think of me, you remember the good things as a result of my being in your life instead of blaming me for what has happened to you. Yes, you can argue that because of you, Ginny’s life was in danger a couple of times, so you would do her good to stay away from her. But have you thought of the possibility that it would be even better for her if you were a part of her life?”

Harry’s face went blank as he listened attentively to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore continued, “Instead of focusing on you putting her life in danger when you are with her, why not think of all those good things that you can give her when you are with her? And if you feel guilty about putting her life in danger, wouldn’t that give you more reasons to treat her as best as you can?”

Harry stood there motionless and did not know what to say.

“Remember what you said to her by her bedside? I’ll bet she will really enjoy doing those things with you,” Dumbledore smiled as he patted Harry’s shoulder. “Even if it makes her life a little more dangerous.”

“Why can’t you let me decide what is good or bad for me?” A voice came from the staircase that sounded like Ginny.

Ginny suddenly emerged from under the invisibility cloak that Ron and Hermione were hoisting.

“Ginny? Shouldn’t you be at the hospital?” Harry asked, walking towards her. He noticed she had regained her color and strength, looking as pretty as he could remember.

“She said she feels all better. She wants to talk to you but Madam Pomfrey won’t let her out. So we sneaked her out with your cloak,” Hermione replied meekly, quickly glancing at Dumbledore. “But then we didn’t realize that…”

“That I am here,” Dumbledore interrupted with a grin.

“You saw us coming in?” Ron asked timidly.

Dumbledore nodded.

“How long have you guys been in here?” Harry asked hesitantly, his face completely blushed.

“They arrived shortly after I came,” Dumbledore smiled. “I guess they heard everything.”

Harry wanted to dig a hole and hide, but he knew he had to stay strong.

“I want to give these back to you, “Ginny said to Harry, handing him the snow white doves.

“Thanks, Ginny,“ Harry said softly as he took the doves and then held Ginny’s hands toward him, pulling her closer. He didn’t know what to say, but he knew he had to do something. Meanwhile, he noticed that Ginny was examining his injured hands very closely and a look of pain appeared on her face. His stomach was churning and his heart was pounding very fast at this moment. There was a long pause in the room as Ron, Hermione, and Dumbledore watched them eagerly.

“Well, I have work to do. I have to tell Minerva to resume the New Year’s celebrations,” Dumbledore beamed as he walked out. “I won’t tell Madam Pomfrey about Ginny. Don’t worry, Hermione.”

On his way out, Dumbledore winked at Ron and Hermione to signal them to leave with him.

“I think they need some privacy,” Ron giggled to Hermione as he hoisted the cloak.

“I hope three times is a charm,” Hermione whispered to Ron underneath the cloak, pointing at the mistletoe.

Feeling slightly more at ease with seemingly no one in the room now, Harry instinctively pulled Ginny even closer to him that they were inches away from each other. He could feel her red hair and warm cheeks. But he still didn’t know what to say and do; his mind was as confused as ever.

“You said you’ll take me for a ride with your Firebolt?” Ginny asked him softly as she gazed into his green eyes.

Harry didn’t reply. His face was redder than ever from embarrassment.

“Don’t forget the picnic under the stars…” a voice that sounded like Ron whispered.

“Shhh……”

“But he promised my sister…”

“Ron, SHUT UP!” Hermione shrieked.

Harry looked to his side and saw what appeared to be Hermione’s long hair floating in mid-air as she was struggling with Ron underneath the cloak. It turned out they were currently hovering right next to them.

“Sorry, Harry. Continue with what you were doing. Never mind us. We are on our way out with Dumbledore. That’s all,” Hermione said hesitantly from underneath the cloak.

Harry wasn’t sure if Ron and Hermione were still nearby. He kept looking to his side and waited for a few moments in order to make sure they had really left. Then he turned back to Ginny and gazed at her.

“I heard everything that you said to me,” Ginny whispered eagerly with a cheer. “A promise is a promise.”

“I…I…” Harry was breathing very deeply. He was lost for words.

Both were gazing at each other, his green eyes against her brown eyes, and they felt like they were alone in the entire world.

“I love you, Ginny Weasley,” Harry whispered as he finally regained some of his composure.

Ginny smiled sweetly, “I love you too, Harry Potter.”

He gently tilted her head. Then he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. Ginny gradually closed her eyes and placed her arms around him. She remained in this position for what seemed like eternity.

“COME ON! JUST KISS HER, YOU BLOODY FOOL!” Ron suddenly screamed as he stuck his arm out from underneath the cloak and pushed Harry’s head towards Ginny.

With Ron’s unexpected assistance, their lips finally landed on each other. There were sounds of giggles and laughter in the background. But Harry wasn’t going to let go, not this time. He held on to Ginny with all his heart and kissed her deeply as they were standing by the staircase under the mistletoe.

The End.

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A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read my story. This is my first ever fanfiction so I hope I did okay. I hope the ending lived up to expectations.

Please check out the very controversial sequel, "When I See Only You," my favorite of the three stories in the series. Understand the lengths that a person will go in the pursuit of true love to combat loneliness. In the end though, will her reckless actions ultimately invite her into the realm of true love, and become one of the lucky chosen few?