In another field, somewhat east of where the battle raged within the old standing stones, several open tents had been set up side by side, lit by torches atop staves set into the ground. Inside each tent were rows of stretchers, and anxious but determined Healers were already attending to injured wizards and witches.
Harry Apparated into the middle of these temporary shelters and ran from tent to tent looking for Ginny. He hadn't meant to come here; he didn't have much time, but it was Dumbledore, in his final gift, who had said, "Harry, in the last, the answer will be known when you listen to your heart. Your instincts will not fail you." Well, Harry trusted his instincts when they told him that he had to find Ginny. Now.
Harry walked into one of the tents and, as he looked around, felt the touch of someone's hand. Startled, Harry instinctively spun around, his wand out in an instant. He regretted it immediately when he saw that the owner of the hand was a young wizard - not much older than he was - lying on a cot beside him. The boy's face and torso had been slashed, and while the bleeding had been staunched, he was still covered in blood and breathing unevenly, in obvious pain.
"Sorry, mate," Harry mumbled, tucking his wand away, embarrassed.
"It's OK... I shouldn't have snuck up on ye like that. Stupid of me. Good way to get yer hand blasted off!" the wizard replied with a weak smile. "Never thought I'd actually get to meet ye, Mr. Potter! Me mum will be so excited to hear it! She's always bin a big fan a yours." The young man winced and sighed. "It's a bloody bother me endin' up here so soon! There's such an awful lot of them out there... I should be out helping!"
Harry felt his throat tighten as he knelt down by the cot. "What's your name, sir?"
"Walfrec Jones," the young man replied. "Just finished me training with the Magical Law Enforcement Squad. This is -- was -- me first assignment." He caught his breath and grimaced for a moment before being able to breathe again.
Once again, Harry felt awkward, like he needed to say something useful. "Mr. Jones —"
"Oh, you can call me Wally. The other name's the one me granddad uses," Wally said with a crooked smile.
"Wally. Right. Well, the Healers here are St. Mungo's best, and I know they'll fix you up right quick. You'll probably be back out there in no time, tossing dozens of Death Eaters into Azkaban tonight!"
Watching Wally struggling to breathe, Harry doubted the boy would be going anywhere. If he were one of the lucky ones, perhaps Wally would be able to go home, see his mum and tell her the story of meeting the 'famous Harry Potter’. Harry hoped so.
When this was over. Harry suddenly remembered the reason he had come and stood up. "You take care of yourself, Wally."
"You too, Harry. Give You-Know-Who hell from all of us!"
"Harry!"
A blur of dragon hide and red hair attacked Harry from the side, nearly knocking him off his feet.
"Ginny?" Harry turned and his heart leapt at the sight of her. Without a second thought he took her up in his arms and kissed her with relief.
"Blimey, Harry!" Wally laughed at the sight of the two of them caught up in each other’s embrace. "And I thought I might have a shot with this lovely red-haired angel! I guess I'm out of luck!"
"Goodbye, Wally!" Harry waved as he pulled Ginny out of the tent and drew her away from the infirmary.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked, once they were truly alone.
"I'm fine, Harry! Did you see it?" Ginny laughed and grabbed his hands; the energy of her excitement nearly lifting him off the ground. "It was amazing! I almost felt sorry for the poor bloke. He never knew what hit him!"
"I did see, Ginny," Harry said, touching her face gently. "You — all of you — were perfect! I wish…."
"Wish what?"
"That Dumbledore were here to see this." Harry shook his head as if to clear away the ache that he felt every time he recalled the absence of the headmaster.
"Harry," Ginny said gently, pulling him down to sit on the wet grass beside her, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, "he IS here. You know? I feel it, don't you?"
They sat in silence for a moment. Harry sighed. "Yeah, I guess I do, Ginny." He turned and looked at her with a gaze so intense that Ginny drew in a sharp breath. Harry took her hands in his. His heart was so full at that moment; he felt he'd burst.
"There is so much that I feel, Ginny. That's why I had to see you before — before joining the others."
Ginny waited patiently, her eyes so bright that he felt emboldened to continue.
"I love you, Ginevra Weasley. I'm grateful for every moment we've ever had together." His feelings and his words seemed to flow from him like a dam burst open. "From the first time I met you and you ran out of the kitchen, flustered and embarrassed. Watching you playing Quidditch with your brothers at the Burrow. Seeing the love in your eyes — the way you see me — after I've kissed you. Your fierce determination when you defend the ones you love. Every moment with you has made me so happy. So, whatever happens tonight, I want you to know that. I want you to always believe in yourself — that you are the most amazing person. You bring light and hope into the world, Ginny. I want you to always be the vibrant woman that you are right now."
Harry stopped as he watched Ginny's smile fade and her eyes fill with fear. She stood up and Harry scrambled to his feet after her.
"Ginny, I.... What's wrong?" Harry, who had never opened himself up before in this way, was stricken and confused by her reaction. Then, instantly replaying his words, he heard them as she must have heard them. He cursed himself for being such a fool.
"What are you planning, Harry Potter?" Ginny spat, her fury clearly growing. "Why are you saying all this to me? Now? Tonight? With all this," Ginny pointed towards the fighting, "going on?"
"Ginny, I'm sorry... I only meant...." Harry sputtered, wishing he could take it all back.
"You only meant, what? To tell me that you love me and, oh, by the way, have a happy life after you're DEAD?" Ginny screamed and threw herself at him, tears flowing down her face as she pummelled him with her fists. "TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING TO DO!"
"Ginny, stop!" Harry tried to restrain her, with some difficulty. "Ginny, please! Okay, I'll tell you. Please stop!"
Like a sail with the wind gone out, Ginny collapsed against him. He put his arms around her, and tried to restrain the stinging he felt in his own eyes. She stepped away, breathing hard, struggling to regain some composure.
"All right, spill it," she challenged him, locking her eyes directly onto his, practically daring him to lie to her. It looked to Harry as if she might be trying out some newfound skill in Legilimency.
Harry's heart was beating so hard, the pounding in his ears so loud, he felt sure she could hear it. He took a deep breath, tried to clear his mind (just in case) and looked at her with all the seriousness he could muster, hoping fervently she would believe him.
"You know how we pulled the Death Eaters away from the smaller stone circle, the place where we first saw them around the fire? I promised Scrimgeour and Kingsley that, from this point forward, we’ll stay hidden in our robes and position ourselves in that circle. See, as the Death Eaters are captured, they'll be brought over to us and we’ll be able to help pack them off to Azkaban. The Minister doesn't want a bunch of kids — especially those who aren't even of age — to get hurt. So, this way we can still be useful but not be in the line of fire. We've already completed our main assignment, just as planned... to take out Voldemort’s senior soldiers."
Ginny didn't respond. Harry waited. They looked at each other, both uncertain, both feeling a bit awkward.
"Well, then," Ginny said finally, breaking her gaze. "I guess you'd better get on with it, then. The moon is setting soon and you're needed."
"Everything is going to be fine, Ginny. It will!" She didn't respond, and Harry felt his heart fall. "It will," he repeated. Finally, in the face of her disappointment, he turned and began to walk away.
"Harry!"
He turned and Ginny ran and threw her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. "I will always love you, Harry Potter," she whispered in his ear. She pulled back to draw him into a kiss so deep he thought he might drown in it. He drank in the taste and feel of her, to imprint her essence into his very being. After a long moment, they parted.
The knot that had lodged itself in the pit of his stomach had dissolved and Harry smiled, feeling enormously relieved.
"You know what, Weasley? You're quite a knockout in those dragon skins!" Even in the moonlight he could see her face begin to resemble the color of her hair, and, as she laughed, he turned and was gone in an instant.