Two Nights in the Garden

Chapter 4

The Second Night Complete

Hermione skipped up the steps to the back door, yanked it open, and stepped inside so quickly that she didn't even notice Ron until she ran into him. He held her up as she lost her balance, and before he let go, their eyes met and seemed to lock together.

“S-sorry, I was just coming to look for you,” he said. “It's getting dark and mum wants to know where everyone is.”

“Oh,” she said, letting her gaze fall, and feeling silly for the blush on her face. “Well, Harry's still out in the garden…” Her voice faded away and her mind went suddenly blank. An awkward silence settled between them.

“Have you seen Ginny?” she asked suddenly. “Harry wanted to talk to her, but I need to see her first.”

Ron smiled with a knowing glint in his eye. “He wants to talk to Ginny ?”

Hermione smiled back, the same look in her eyes. “He does. I think… I think maybe he's starting to come around.”

“Well,” said Ron, “it's about time. I threatened him earlier, and if he knows what's good for him, he'll come around.”

“Come around what?” a voice said from the doorway.

Ron and Hermione spun around to see Ginny standing in the door, carrying an empty plate and glass. She walked into the kitchen and set them down, pushing her hair behind her ear and looking expectantly at them.

“Nothing,” said Ron, shrugging. “He's just being… Harry, and we told him to stop before we have to hex him into next week.”

“Ronald Weasley, you'll do no such thing!” she said, advancing on him. Hermione tried to hide her smile as she watched the fiery redhead forcing her brother into a corner. Just as Ron was about to crack, Ginny turned on Hermione.

“And you, helping out, were you?” Hermione knew when she was beaten, and did some quick thinking.

“He was upset,” she said quietly, putting on a sad face and looking at the ground. “I didn't want him to be alone, so I tried to talk to him. He wouldn't listen to Ron, and- and he hardly listened to me. Ginny, I think you're the only one who can help him now. He looks pretty bad and I'm worried about what he might try.”

The effect was just as she had hoped. Ginny immediately stopped advancing and her face turned to compassion in an instant.

“Where is he?” she asked softly.

“He's out in the garden. Ron,” said Hermione, fluttering her eyes slightly, “will you meet me in the other room in a minute?”

“Sure,” he said dreamily, and Ginny huffed as he walked out.

“Well done, Hermione, he would have said yes to anything you asked like that.” Still, she couldn't help but be impressed. Hermione really could get what she wanted when it came to her brother.

“Ginny,” Hermione said seriously, “I've only got a second before Ron starts to get suspicious, so here goes. Harry wants to talk to you out in the garden. He really is in pretty rough shape, and he's very confused right now. I know you're upset with him, and rightfully so, but please just consider for a moment before you say anything to him. He doesn't have any idea what he's doing. Those bloody Muggles who raised him are just sick and he has no idea how to handle real relationships.”

Ginny had to smile again. It was rare indeed when Hermione spoke like that.

Hermione glared at her for a moment, and Ginny put back on her innocent face, though still with the same smile.

“Anyway,” she continued, “you have the full right to go out and kick his boney arse, but for his sake and yours, maybe go easy on him.” Her eyes lost some of their shine, “I'm really worried about him, Ginny. He's lost, more lost then I've ever seen, and I think he's been like this all summer. It's lucky he came when he did, otherwise… Well, will you go talk to him, please?”

Ginny looked out the back door, her forehead creased in worry. “O-Okay. I guess we need to talk anyway,” she answered. “And I'll try to remember what you said. I swear, if I ever get my hands on those Muggles, they'll be on the receiving end of the worst bat-bogey hex I've ever come up with!”

They laughed together and Hermione watched as her friend walked out the door to go find Harry.

Hearing Ron call from the other room, she recollected herself. Stooping by the back door, she pulled her shoes off and padded into the adjoining room where Ron sat on the sofa, his head resting back against the cushions and his eyes closed.

Her heart fluttered as she looked him over.

Get a hold of yourself, Hermione! She thought. He's just a friend, you still don't know how he feels about you. Even if… even if Ginny and Harry are right about him…

She sat down carefully on the sofa next to him, her hands dying to reach out and ruffle his messy red hair, but she kept them to herself, laying them sadly in her lap as she pulled her legs up onto the cushion.

Ron's eyes opened and found her. There was a look in them strangely unlike anything she'd ever seen before.

“Er, I was – “ he said.

“I meant to – “ she said.

Ron smiled a little and she felt her heart pattering faster. She still hadn't gotten used to his effect on her. It was so unlike anything she'd ever felt, but in such a wonderful, unexpected way.

“Go ahead,” he said, but she hardly noticed because of the way his mouth looked when he spoke.

“Hermione? Are you okay?” he asked, starting to sound concerned.

She snapped back to reality. “Oh, yes…” Curse the blood that makes my face go red , she thought. “I just was going to say that I hope Ginny and Harry have a good talk, and that they… “ She faltered, getting lost in his eyes again. “And that they… have a good talk.”

Ron laughed. “You already said that!”

“Did I?” she asked, feeling her cheeks heat up even more. She was starting to wonder how she would ever get through this. She looked down at her hands, “I'm sorry, I must just be a little tired.”

“Oh… oh, okay,” he said, his face falling. Her heart pined to make that look go away.

“Ron, I…” she started to say, but couldn't come up with the words. She decided to take a different tact. “Do you think it's love?” she asked wistfully.

He froze so quickly she thought he might have been hit by a full-body bind.

Stuttering, she added, “I-I mean, Harry and Ginny. Do you think they love each other?”

He looked across the room and out the window, but didn't seem to be seeing anything. “Yes,” he said softly. “Ginny loves him, she as much as said so yesterday. And Harry… you can see it in the way he looks at her,” he fixed his eyes on Hermione, “and… and the way he talks to her, and how he's happy when he's with her.” He continued to hold her gaze. “Like I'm happy when I'm with you,” he added.

Without even knowing it, her fingers found his and they laced together, squeezing each other tight. She continued to look at him, her words lost in her throat somewhere. She only hoped that he hadn't lost the ability to speak, too.

“So,” she asked carefully, “do you think they'll end up together?” She wondered if she was still talking about their friends.

“I hope so. I don't want to have to deal with Harry if they don't, and we promised to go with him, you know.”

“We did,” she said, still looking deep into his eyes. “We promised to go with him… together.”

“T-together,” he said, as if trying on the word to see how it felt.

“Ron, I – “ she began, but he had started, too.

“Hermione, I – I made a mistake with Lavender.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, cooling off quite quickly and removing her hand from his. Apparently sensing his mistake, he continued, talking very fast.

“Well, see, I dated her because of things that I was scared of. I know that's not a good reason, but I was desperate and angry and I didn't know what else to do. I found out that you kissed Krum, and I went nutters. Harry had kissed Cho, and Ginny was off kissing blokes, and I… I…” he looked away from her.

She felt her heart soften again and slid her hand back under his, running her thumb across his fingers as she did, giving him a comforting smile. At least he was trying.

“I know you were angry with me for, well, for all the stupid things I did, and… and I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I hurt you, because you mean more – “ He stopped talking, unsure if he'd overstepped some unseen line.

“It's okay, Ron. I was hurt, but I'm not anymore.” She placed her other hand on top of his. “You know why it hurt me, right?” she asked gently.

He nodded just a fraction of an inch. “I'm sorry for how I acted,” he said, “but mostly I'm sorry for not having done something about it a long time ago.”

“About what?” she asked in a whisper, bowing her head.

He reached out a long hand and put his fingers on her cheek. “About the way I feel about you.”

“And how do you feel about me?” Her voice was less than a whisper now, caught by her feelings and her struggle to hold back the prickling in her eyes.

“Hermione, I – “ he paused. She could feel the warmth of his body as he leaned closer to her. Her heart was screaming out for him and she could hardly hold herself back.

Without any warning, he lifted her face and pressed his lips to hers.

It seemed like years passed and fireworks exploded everywhere. Her heart beat madly in her chest and her arms wound their way around his neck. His hands found her back and pulled her closer. The temperature in the room seemed to be sky-rocketing.

But then he pulled away, a strangely guarded look on his face. She had never seen him so vulnerable before, but she had also never seen him so dashing.

“I've been waiting for that for so long,” she breathed and he relaxed and smiled.

“And I should have done that ages ago,” he said, pulling her into his arms. She stretched out her legs across the cushions and leaned into his neck. It felt so much at home that it seemed like she had always been there, in spirit if not in body. And now she could be in both. She had never felt so wonderfully at peace in her whole life.

She finally had Ron, and he had her.

As Ginny left the back porch in search of Harry, her emotions were in turmoil. Her biggest worry was what Hermione had said – that Harry might truly be desperate, and do something dangerous or careless. She also worried about her own feelings for him. She had been working so hard to block him from her mind, and if he didn't truly want to talk to her, then this encounter could be incredibly painful. Finally, she worried about what would or could happen if he said the right things.

Her heart had belonged to him for so long that she knew she would wait, but at what cost? If he pushed her away again and then left to hunt down the remaining Horcruxes (Hermione had told her), then what would happen? Would she wait, her love turning slowly to resentment in his absence? And what if he were hurt, or what if he were kill-- .

She shook her head, trying to keep the hot tears at bay. Her last thought put more speed in her step and she practically ran into the garden.

Sensing that he would probably be as far from the house as possible, she ran all the way to the back, toward the whispering waterfall. When she rounded the last corner and saw him, she stopped in her tracks, her hand covering her mouth as it dropped open.

Harry was sitting on the ground, his legs pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. His glasses were slightly askew, and he held his wand shakily in his right hand. His hair was even messier than usual, but it was the look on his face that caused a great lump to build in her throat.

It was as if all the sadness in the world were now heaped on his shoulders, and he had finally collapsed under the weight. To a stranger, he would have appeared to be twice his age by the creases and dark circles under his eyes. Though they were open, she could see the glazing that covered them while his vision was elsewhere – in his mind perhaps, seeing the horrors of his past in his memories.

His shoulders were slumped in total defeat, and suddenly all of her own worries disappeared. All that mattered was getting him back. Though she didn't know the exact details, she had guessed enough to know that he was going to be involved in the destruction of Voldemort. Seeing him broken and crushed like this only made her realize that she had to help. She had to bring him back, even if it never meant having his heart.

She raced over to him, falling to the ground at his side and pulling him toward her. He tipped easily over and fell into her grasp, his expression unchanged. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him as far as they would reach. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, cascading down upon him as if it, too, were trying to protect him.

He felt so cold and distant, but she was never so determined as now. Compassion filled her completely and she began to whisper comforting words to him, words that sprang from her heart as if flowing by themselves from within. Eventually, her tears began to escape, falling in slow motion to touch the skin of his bare arms.

And finally he moved.

His hand shifted to touch the spot on his arm where her first tear had landed. He gazed curiously at it and then, as if seeing her for the first time, lifted his hand to her face. His expression was raw and open and she could see where his own silent tears had run down his dirty face.

He moved his hand and his gaze to her hair, shining in the darkness as if from a light within. Then he looked back up at her face.

“Ginny?” he said hoarsely. “My Ginny?” His hand hovered next to her face.

“Yes, Harry, your Ginny. I'm right here, you're safe – I've got you.”

He stared at her for what felt like minutes on end. His face slowly taking on its normal color and his eyes coming back to reality. As he did, he drew closer to her, and she could see his renewed tears.

Finally, he moved beside her, adjusting to hug her properly. “I'm sorry,” he whispered. “I'm so sorry, Ginny. Everything that I've done… everything that I am, everything that I have to do. Tonight I thought I'd lost it all. I felt like there was no way I could ever face him and win… and I didn't want to anymore.”

He drew back from her slightly to look in her eyes. “What's most important to me… I mean, above everything else…” he ran a finger down her cheek. “… is you,” he whispered. “I know I've cocked everything up and there's no way to fix it now. But if I could go back, I'd do things differently.” He looked away. “I'd love you properly, even more than I love you now.”

A warm shock ran through her at his unchecked words, and she didn't think he even realized what he said. He had just admitted that he loved her. She pulled him a little closer, letting her tears continue to fall.

“I'll manage to go on without you,” he added, “but I just wanted you to know that I still love you. This… this summer, without you, was the worst summer I've ever had. It hurt not being near you. It hurt like a real hurt, in my chest. I c-couldn't get you out of my mind, it was like your picture was just there all the time. And the wonderful smell of your hair…”

His eyes were closed, and she began to feel that hurt in her own chest. How could he possibly think he'd lost her? Why didn't he know what he was worth? There were so many that loved him…

“Harry,” she said, holding one of his hands to her heart and putting her other on his face, “why do you think you've lost me?”

It was such a simple question, but he wasn't sure how to answer. He brought his eyes up to hers and saw, for the first time in a long time, the light that made her so special.

“You… you don't… you're not going to?”

She shook her head, her hair sweeping across his arm.

“But after what I did… why would you still feel… like that?”

“Like what?” she asked, smiling.

He looked into her eyes. “How can you still like me?” There was a tone in his voice that said he truly couldn't understand, and it pierced her very soul.

She held her gaze on his beautiful green eyes, starting to feel tingly throughout her body. She moved her eyes away for a moment. “Harry, I don't like you.” She looked back at him, building up her courage, but still only able to manage a whisper. “I love you.”

His mouth opened and closed, but he couldn't find the words. “You love me?” he asked silently.

“I do,” she said, blushing.

A smile spread over his face. A smile that she hadn't seen since they were at school. It was real and true, and it made her suddenly giddy. She started to giggle and blushed even more.

“I'm glad you still do that,” he said shyly.

All she could think was how adorable he looked when he was being shy. She reached out and pulled his glasses off, tossing them aside.

“Hey!” he cried.

“Don't worry, you won't need them for what comes next.” He smiled again, and his heart felt lighter than it had in weeks. Her beautiful brown eyes were bright and full, and her smile made him lose all concept of reality.

Suddenly she pounced on him, pinning him to the ground and sprawling out next to him, while at the same time planting a kiss on his lips. She pulled away once, but he took her hand and pulled her back. After a few minutes, she pulled back again, slightly out of breath, but smiling brilliantly at him.

“I love you, Harry Potter,” she said quietly.

“I love you, too, Ginny Weasley,” he answered, just as softly.

She continued to smile at him, and suddenly he noticed a gleam in her eye. In a flash she was standing, looking down at him.

“Catch me if you can!” she giggled, and then took of running. He laughed and jumped up, giving chase all the way across the garden.

When he finally caught up, catching her off-guard, he grabbed her arm and spun her around, kissing her before she even knew what was happening. She quickly wrapped her arms around him, kissing him back. Eventually her hands found their way into his hair and she smiled as they finished their kiss.

“I think the Harry Potter Fan Club may have restarted,” she giggled.

He grinned at her. “That's okay. I'm thinking of starting a Ginny Weasley Fan Club, myself.”

She smiled with a laugh in her eyes, and sat down on the ground, pulling him down, too. Harry leaned against the ivy-covered stone wall and held her in his arms, relishing the new peace that had settled in his heart.

When Ron and Hermione found them a little while later, the two couples sat in the darkness of the garden sharing their stories and their newfound love. They were each happy for the other, but in a way which couldn't eclipse their own true love.

That night Harry asked Ginny to come with them in their search for the Horcruxes. At the same time, he laid out the truth for her of everything that had happened and everything he was going to be responsible for. He was surprised by her steadfast commitment to him and her promise to stay by his side until the end. And he was grateful.

Even with the new happiness Harry had found, it would still be some time before he would allow himself to believe he was worth the love of others. Ginny's careful and tender feelings helped the most, and as he allowed her love to change him, she began to show him how much others loved him as well.

Before they left the Burrow to begin their terrifying adventure, Harry finally came to realize what Dumbledore had said years before. The power that the Dark Lord didn't understand was in fact love, and when finally confronted with the last battle against Voldemort, Harry knew he would have the advantage. He had more love surrounding him than he knew what to do with, and that would be the undoing of evil, no matter how powerful it might seem now.

A/N – Please review! Thanks!